Pupule
by Crystal Marionette
Summary: When a routine, though curious, murder investigation becomes personal for the Five-0 team, lines will be crossed and endurance tested in order to solve the case save one of their own.
1. Chapter 1

So, I've been working on this little fic for a while now, ever since I posted my last H50 one shot _Haole_. Thanks to everyone who reviewed last time, you're all amazing! You made me feel right at home in this new 'verse that I just cannot get enough of. I was hoping to have this finished before the season finale, but alas, I have two jobs at the moment and not a lot of down time. How about those last few episodes, though, huh? Fantastic!

Now, this story is finished but I had no beta of my own. Thus all mistakes are my own and I apologize in advance for them. There'll be about six or seven chapters in all and I'll try and have a new chapter up every couple of days. Like I said, I have very little down time right now so update duration may vary. I hope you all enjoy it as I had a lot of fun in writing it!

Warning: Post 2.11 Pahele, so it will contain details from the show up to that point. Also, here be swearing! They're adults; it's a common practice.

Disclaimer: I do not, in any uncertain terms, lay claim to Hawaii Five-0 or its characters. I don't even own shares within CBS. All I am guilty of is enjoying sexy men running around with guns, shooting perps and blowing shit up with grenades. I write for the sole purpose of pleasure, not profit.

* * *

If anyone were to ask Lieutenant Commander Steven J. McGarrett just two years ago what one term he would use to describe himself, he would say without a doubt that he was self aware. He knew who he was as a person, as a man and where he thought he fit into the 'grand scheme of things'. He was first and foremost a soldier; forged in Annapolis, folded in Naval Intelligence, sharpened in his BUD's class and polished with the SEAL's into the razor sharp weapon his country expected him to be. He was powerful in both mind and muscle, someone who could think on his feet when the job demanded it of him and strong enough to finish what he started. Complete the mission at any cost, leave no man behind, Semper Fi. It was these traits that had allowed him to transition so well into the cop he now was when the governor had created his special task force, even as he realized how much paperwork went into being a police officer. He was also grateful for his training during Hell Week that taught him the importance of endurance and patience, though he still gruelled over the challenge of the latter on a daily basis; it helped him deal with the man that was his partner, at least to a certain extent. When it came to Detective Danny Williams, both were a prerequisite.

Before his father had been murdered he had always figured, and been aware of the fact, that he would no doubt spend the remainder of his life in the service. Two Irish arms dealers and a bullet later, he couldn't imagine himself without his Five-0 teammates. It was odd how one moment in your life could send your entire being into a tailspin. First it had been his mother's death that triggered his path in life with military, shaping him into the man he was. Then with the killing of his father he had gone from a commanding officer in the United States Navy SEAL's to the head of a specialized task force with the Honolulu Police Department and the state of Hawaii. Strange how things worked out sometimes whether you wanted them to or not.

Now if you asked him how he would describe himself, he didn't know if he could honestly answer the question. During his time back on the islands, his views of himself and the world had either come into question or had been flipped on its head. Yes, he was still conscious of himself on a physical and mental level, but he was no longer in the service, no longer a SEAL, no longer a man who could turn to his father for advice. And he no longer felt so horribly alone in the world. His teammates with the SEAL's had been close with one another, as all teams do that enter the fray of battle: with no one but the men on your six there watching your back, you better damn well trust them. With Five-0, there was such a closeness and a connection that went deeper than just being a team, they were family. They were Ohana, and he did not use that term lightly.

Kono Kalakaua had him rethinking his views on strength. When he had first laid eyes on her, he had had his doubts. A rookie with no experience, and someone so physically small he worried she would break if anyone got too close. Her huge reservoir of emotional strength, as well as her killer roundhouse, continued to prove him wrong every day. He also envied no one who got on her bad side.

Chin Ho Kelly was a monk in bulletproof Kevlar; cool, calm and collected. He could see why his father had liked the man so much. Not one to speak much, every word from his lips was calculated and measured in order to help with the situation, whether it was a viable plan of attack, or a quip to brighten an otherwise dark moment. The man would have made a good soldier; he was good at what he did and took orders without question. At the same time, Steve hoped he never experienced the service; with someone who kept most things so close to the vest, active duty would probably emotionally kill him.

Lori Weston, their newest addition, had also had Steve in doubt even though the decision was essentially out of his hands. She hadn`t been on the team, or in Hawaii, for very long but she brought with her a plethora of experience from Homeland Security as well as the FBI that had so far been a great asset to the group. She was a good fit and connected with everyone nearly instantly. Caring, passionate and good at what she did, he now hoped she stayed for the foreseeable future to make his team truly Five-0.

Then, last but certainly not least – and he`d never let you forget it -, there was his partner. Probably the exact opposite of Chin, the man was a hurricane with an East Coast accent. Whereas Chin was quiet and calm, Danny was loud and hot tempered. Steve had once told his partner it was typical Small Man syndrome. His partner had replied back to simply shut up and stop worrying about it. One to always express his opinions, all the bravado and show did little to hide the fact that Danny probably had one of the biggest hearts Steve had ever come across. When it came to those he cared about, there was nothing the man wouldn't do to help or make them happy. Though he'd never admit it he was a sensitive soul, and anyone he told otherwise would immediately see the lie for what it was when Danny was with his daughter.

Steve smiled as he thought about his team, paying little attention to the trail he was currently jogging along. He had run this area so often he could probably traverse it in his sleep. Turn left, leap the deceptively small pothole, duck the palm fronds, remember the fallen tree a mile further ahead…Deeper into the heart of Oahu, the jungle pressed in on him from all sides and made for one of the best trails on the island. The calls of Myna birds and the hiss of insects had almost a calming effect which Steve had hoped for, especially after the last month. The betrayal and kidnapping in North Korea, the death of Jenna Kaye, Wo Fat's escape, then compounded with the hostage situation last week with those private school kids…there were a lot of memories he'd sooner just forget, even if it made him a stronger person.

As the toppled palm came into sight, lying mournfully across the path, he jumped it easily. Smiling despite the memories plaguing his mind, he followed the trail through a thick strand of trees before a brilliant blaze of sunlight hit his face. It was here that he paused, staring out over the magnificent view the clearing allowed. Overlooking the city of Honolulu, the ridge offered hands down the best view of the ocean. Even with the early Saturday morning hour, he could tell the day was going to be absolutely beautiful and with the sun still behind the mountains he regretted not bringing his camera. The pinks and orange of the sunrise were painting the island in bright tones and highlights, and he thanked his lucky stars he had been blessed to live in paradise. Standing there, looking off into the horizon, he felt immeasurably small. It always helped ground him…allowed him to remember he was only one man and somehow, somehow it helped lift just a little of the weight that seemed constantly on his shoulders.

So busy admiring the spectacular view he nearly missed the soft trill of his cell phone. Still relatively close to the city, the trail offered another perk that Steve enjoyed: uninterrupted cell service. Unzipping his pocket, he fished out the device and answered without glancing at the caller ID. "McGarrett"

"You sound like you've been huffing paint thinner. The hell have you been up to?"

Steve grinned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I just ran twelve miles. What's your excuse?"

"You're hilarious, I hope you know that." Danny quipped, sounding exhausted. "Well, Usain, we just got handed a case so if you could kindly climb down off of whatever mountain you currently find yourself on and come to the office, that would be great."

"Usain Bolt is a sprinter, Danny."

"He still has to run to get where he wants, Steven!" McGarrett could almost see Danny's hands waving about. "Also, right about now I couldn't give two shits. Can you just get here, please? And I swear to God, if you come in smelling like death warmed over, you are not sitting in my car!"

"Then who's going to drive it?"

"My God. Call the stations! We have a comedian on our hands!"

Steve hoped no one was within arms reach of his partner, knowing the amount of hand waving that had to be happening across the line. He was sure he heard Kono laughing in the background. "Hey, I'm just saying…"

"Well stop saying before you have a stroke. Just get here pronto!"

Steve chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. I'm on my way."

* * *

Pushing the glass double doors inward, Steve entered Five-0 headquarters twenty minutes later. Showered and clean cut – preferably to avoid Danny's bitching for the remainder of the day – he walked to where the rest of his team stood, all crowded together around the smart table and its integrated computer system. Clasping his hands together, the others looked to him as he positioned himself beside his partner. "So, what do we have?"

"We," Kono paused to toss a group of photos onto the two screens next to the Commander, "have two bodies, found this morning at the docks by a crane operator. He had clocked in early to get ahead of the weekend rush of shipping crates and literally stumbled over our two vic's; they had been left next to a shipment awaiting delivery, left in the open like someone was trying to leave a message."

"While you were on your way, we were able to put ID's to both the victims." Chin interjected, tapping a few keys before two more photos – mug shots - appeared next to the others on screen. "Peter Ikeda, 32, and Dai Kawano, 29. The two of them have been transferred to the ME's office, and Max is working on figuring out the cause of death as we speak but in my opinion it's fairly obvious."

Steve nodded absentmindedly, still looking the photos over. The two men looked like locals, but with the higher percentage of foreign immigrants on the islands, it was always difficult to say for sure. The names, on the other hand, were very familiar and he studied the men at length hoping something would pop. Ikeda was a large man…had been anyway. Easily three hundred pounds, the he wore an impressive shiner to his left eye in his photograph, his long stringy hair doing nothing to improve his overall appearance. The other man, Kawano, was the exact opposite in practically every way. Nearly skeletal thin, with sunken eyes and thin mouth, the man looked like death. His black hair was cut very short with spiral-like designs etched into it near the temples. He spared only a glance towards the pictures of the men at the docks; Max would give him a more detailed series of events than the photos would. He did note, though, the extreme amount of blood around the victims in the crime scene pictures, which would no doubt be thanks to the gaping wounds in each mans chest. It was as though their hearts had exploded, tattered skin and bone forced out from the bodies. The dark red gore of blood and torn organs was difficult to look at, but he'd seen worse in the field.

His musing was interrupted as Danny gave a tremendous sneeze. Turning to the blonde, he raised a brow as the shorter man shook his head, looking dazed. "You should go grab a glass of water because I'm pretty sure you just dehydrated yourself."

"Shut up." Danny sniffed, reaching into his pocket to produce a Kleenex. "I'm fine."

"Sure you are brah." Chin grinned, sounding skeptical.

Rolling his eyes, the Danny blew his nose. "I think Grace just gave me her cold is all. It's fine, I`m good, let`s move on shall we?"

"Right..." Steve stated, sounding very unconvinced, but turned back to the photos. "These guys seem familiar. What else do we have on them?"

"They should seem familiar." McGarrett could hear the frustration in Chin's voice and he frowned. "These two were, supposedly, Hiro Noshimuri's top two scumbags on the island. Essentially the Yakuza's right and left hands here in Hawaii."

"HPD suspected these two for years as being under the Oyabun but they were too good at what they did." Danny chimed in. "They covered their tracks extremely well and was never actually seen with Hiro, opting instead to use burn phones to communicate. With no links connecting them with Hiro, or any of the crimes they committed, they walked scot free and Noshimuri was able to pretty much rule the Yakuza here without police interference." The man sighed, obviously sharing in chins dissatisfaction. "If it wasn't for your father's investigation and the clues he left for you, we may have never known Hiro was even connected to the Yakuza at all."

"And that's why we think someone's sending a message." Steve nodded, remembering now. This had happened back during his days as a SEAL, when the Yakuza was barely a blip on the radar in contest with the other bastards he helped put away. Their names had come up on his father's tape recorder and he had completely overlooked them once names such as Noshimuri's, the governor's and Wo Fat came into the equation. "These guys are huge players and taking them out would definitely mean whoever did this isn't too worried about their wellbeing. The Yakuza is going to be out for blood, and lots of it."

"While we've been dealing with these…last few cases," Chin chose his words carefully, "the HPD has reported an increase in violence between the Yakuza and the Samoans. While we were in North Korea, a couple Samoan enforcers were taken out."

"Our best guess? This was a gang hit, retribution by the Samoans." Lori shrugged, finally speaking up.

Steve looked pointedly at each of his team members in turn. He still marveled at how well the team had come together and meshed. They were all incredibly intelligent in their own way and together it was a sight to behold. He couldn't have asked for anyone better. "And you did all this within the twenty minutes it took me to get here?"

"Well," Kono scratched her cheek, "it wasn`t all us. HPD was going to take the case until they found out who these guys actually were. Then they handed it off to us. Because of that, we have only bits and pieces of evidence that they`ve collected thus far and that's not saying much."

"Either way, you guys are awesome. Good work."

"What's this? Feeling generous with the praise?" Danny gestured his way, smirking. "Keep it coming, babe. After working with you so long I need to jack up my self esteem."

The group gave a collective laugh, and didn't that just feel amazing. In Korea, a small nagging voice in the back of Steve's mind had kept him thinking he'd never see his ohana again. He'd never thought they'd come in, guns blazing they way they had; it was fucking North Korea!

Steve Danny a friendly but pointed glare. "I am not that bad."

"Define bad for me would you? Cause I'd really enjoy learning what you consider the term entails. Bad as in never following police procedure, bad as in blowing up pawn shops with grenades, bad as in your complete disregard for Miranda rights – or any rights, really - or bad as in the fact that you have no sense of _personal_ property such as commandeering _my_ car when you have a perfectly functional Silverado outside?"

"…you done?"

"I'm never done!"

"It's better on gas. It's a big truck."

"So you'd rather waste my gas careening all over the island when you know I can barely pay rent with all my other bills?"

"I'll pay you back."

"Says the guy who 'forgets' his wallet every time we hit the bar."

"Boys!" Lori yelled, effectively cutting Steve's retort off. She motioned towards the screens. "Case, remember?"

About to Steven's cell phone gave a buzzing ring. Placing it on the table, he hit answer and placed it on speaker, noting the caller ID. "Hey Max. What's the word?"

"Well," the medical examiner paused, "I have good news and…strange news. Which would you prefer I start with?"

Everyone shared a mutual look of confusion before Steven said, "Let`s start with the good news. Knowing you, strange could be a number of things."

"Very well." Dr. Bergman paused again, and the team could hear the distinct rustle of papers being shuffled about. "The good news is that I have established the cause of death, which did not take long at all as you can imagine. Both men died from a single gunshot wound center mass to the back from a large caliber bullet, a .50 caliber to be exact. Each had been struck in the spine, killing them instantly. The damage to their chests is merely the exit wounds."

"The same caliber as your typical standard issue sniper rifle. That's a huge round to be using inside the city, though…not very discreet." Steve commented.

"Overkill." Danny muttered beside him.

"Indeed, Commander." Max went on. "I`ve already sent both bullets off to forensics. I also estimate the time of death to be between ten and eleven o`clock last night."

Everyone held a tentative breath, waiting for the ME to continue, but the line remained quiet.

"Max?" Lori questioned, shooting Steve a raised brow. "What`s the strange news?"

"Well, when I was at the crime scene earlier I noted the vast amounts of blood in the area. It was perplexing at first but I didn`t question it further until after my initial assessment of the two victims."

"What did you find?" Danny sounded morbidly curious.

"As you must already know, a typical male adult has a blood volume of approximately between 4.7 and 5 liters. With the extensive amount of damage done to both their bodies, there is little doubt that they would have bled out quickly. Even so, the volume of blood on scene was much more than expected. There were also layers to it that I could spot, the lower layer plasma already beginning to separate and coagulate. The other seemed newer, more fresh if you will."

"What are you saying Max?" Steve didn`t like where this was going.

"I`m saying the amount of blood at the crime scene is indicative of three victims, not two. There had to have been three bodies Commander, not the two on scene."

"Wait a moment." Chin shook his head. "Why kill three people but only leave two of the bodies behind, let alone take one with them? That makes no sense, and certainly isn't the Samoans style."

"As I said, Lieutenant, very strange. I have no doubt that you will all figure this out."

"Thanks Max. Call us if you get anything else!" Steve said, ending the call before turning to the others. "So, what are we thinking? Lori, as a profile, what`s your opinion on this?"

"I`m still thinking this is a gang hit. I`ve seen other cases of gang warfare taking strange turns such as this. Either they needed their victims for another reason, such as a ransom or maybe organ collection for the black market, which we`ve seen in other cases. I heard of a case once with the FBI where a businessman was killed by a local gang and the body was kept. They would use things like hair and fingers as proof of life, and the family bought it and paid a hefty ransom for the man's return. Once they had the money, the body was dumped on his family`s front porch."

"That`s just sick." Kono grimaced.

Lori gave a small shrug. "Looking at the photo`s, it looks like all three victims met their end at the docks. Sniper took them out and then the third body, whoever it was, was taken once all threats to the killer were neutralized."

"But look at the pictures." Danny put in his two cents. "Two bodies, a huge amount of blood, but there isn`t any blood trails leading away from the scene. All we have is a massive pool. If the victim had recently died, which we can assume they were, even without the heart beating blood still would have been exiting the wound thanks to gravity, especially with wounds like that."

"Danny's right." Chin agreed. "There would have been some type of trail, and there`s no way someone could have made it near the bodies without stepping foot into that mess."

"A body doesn`t just disappear." Steve announced, waving at the pictures. "What we need more information. Kono, I want you to head down to the CSU and see where Fong is at analyzing any blood samples that HPD may have collected. Maybe we can get a match for mystery victim number three."

With a nod, the young native whisked herself through the headquarters double doors and towards the parking lot as Steve turned back to the others.

"Lori and Chin, I want you both here and searching for anyone who has ties to the Yakuza, even if it seems irrelevant, and running those names against those of missing persons. Even though it hasn`t been twenty four hours since the killings, we don`t know if this person was being held prior to death. Also look into the members themselves. Even though they're members of a gang doesn't mean they don't have families. Seeing as the other two victims were big name members, there has to be a connection there somewhere." Clapping his partner on the shoulder, he said, "Danny, you`re with me."

With brief nods, Chin and Lori set to work with the smart table as Danny followed his partner towards the Palace`s exit. "And what are we doing again?"

"We`re going down to the crime scene. Like I said before, a body just doesn`t vanish. There`s got to be some clue that the others missed and we`re going to find it."

"Always the optimist. Love it."

* * *

The sun shone brilliantly through the windshield and Danny had to squint as the glare off the back window of the Camry ahead of them nearly blinded him. He couldn`t really come to care too much though; it was a small price to pay for keeping his mouth shut on this particular ride. He was certain that if he said anything, even a single word, that it would somehow jinx the good fortune that found Steve driving at the posted speed limit.

Of course Steve always found a way to break or otherwise ruin his good intentions.

"You`re pretty quiet there, Danno. Sure you`re feeling alright?"

Danny sighed, figuring they were close enough to their destination to dare open his mouth. "I`m fine, thank you. It`s not like I`ve never had a cold before." And just to prove his point, his nose gave a harsh twinge and he sneezed into his forearm.

Steve cringed. "If I knew you were sick I wouldn`t have bothered with the shower. At least getting kicked from the Camaro would have been better for my health."

"And mine." Danny glared at the man, who was once again driving _his_ car. "Seeing as how you`re usually driving around like this is a Formula One car."

"The victims are dead already and we have no solid leads. No reason for speeding."

"No reason?" He gaped at Steve. "When has that ever stopped you? The reason you shouldn`t ever speed is the fact that I do all my best work while _alive_!"

Turning on the left signal light, Steve pulled the vehicle into the Port of Honolulu, easing the silver car softly over the speed bumps and flashing his badge at the port authorities at the check stop. "You know I always think safety first."

"Right…Says the guy who used a hand grenade to blow up a pawn shop."

"And you complain too much." Steve stated, spotting the yellow crime scene tape up ahead and placed the vehicle into park a short distance away. "Can you live long enough to figure out this case?"

"With you, I make no promises." Finally unable to contain the tickle at the back of his throat, Danny coughed harshly as he stepped out of his car into the sweltering heat. At that moment in time, he had never been so happy he had decided to start foregoing the ties as he popped another button open on his shirt. It didn`t help as there was no breeze to mention, the waves of heat coming off the concrete causing the yellow tape to waver in his vision. At least he hoped it was only the heat. He wasn`t about to tell Steve that his head was also pounding.

Following his – in Danny`s opinion – legally insane partner down to the crime scene, he nearly gagged as the powerful stench of copper hit his nose. Ducking under the tape, he neared the shipping containers where they had found the victims. The crime scene photos hadn`t done the gruesome scene justice; the blood pool was gigantic! Careful not to step in anything or disturb possible evidence, he knelt next to the morbid display. He felt Steve just behind him as he pulled out a spare Kleenex and covered his mouth and nose.

"Well, this is certainly a lot of blood." Danny decided to go for blunt and obvious.

"More than just two people could have possibly left. Max was right, there has to be a third victim." Steve sighed over his shoulder, walking a few steps away to investigate the ground.

As his partner knelt to look at something, Danny turned to join him as he felt the man tense. "What do you have?"

"A bullet groove…" Steve pointed in the concrete near the corner of one crate. There, etched into the concrete, was a very distinct elongated chip in the pier. "This makes no sense either. If the guy was good enough to hit each victim directly in the spinal cord, then he wouldn`t have missed this badly."

"And neither victim had a bullet escape their bodies. Even if our third vic was thin, it wouldn`t have mattered seeing as Kawano was deathly skinny and the bullet still didn`t exit him." Danny finished, on the same wavelength. Looking closely at the seemingly innocent mark, he noted the white color of the scraping ridging the chip. "It`s fresh too…still discolored, too white."

Lining himself up with the ridging, Danny turned in a 180 to look directly behind him. Raising a hand to shield to sun from his eyes, he looked about the pier in the direction the bullet had to have come from. The only thing in that direction was…

"A crane." Danny muttered, looking at the towering structure. What unsettled him more, though, was that it was parallel to a port, one used for international crater ships. If there had been a ship in dock there last night, the shot could have easily come from it as well. Their shooter may have just sailed away, and they`d never know it.

"What was that?" Steve questioned, still looking at the new evidence.

"The direction of the bullet." Danny pointed, and Steve observed the crane. The detective watched as his partners face paled ever so slightly, no doubt thinking the same thing that had him on edge as well.

"Let`s go-"

Danny sneezed again, this time following it up with a few hacking coughs, effectively cutting off anything his partner had been trying to say. Getting the hint though, he started walking towards the crane as he blew his nose, trying to ignore Steve`s worried glance.

"For the last time, Steven, I am fine. Let it go."

"Now who sounds like they`ve huffed paint thinner? You`re getting worse, Daniel." Steve threw back his sarcasm.

"Am not."

"Are too."

"What are you, seven? And must you argue with me about everything?"

A uniformed officer still on scene threw them both a look as they passed. "Danny, it doesn`t take a rocket scientist to figure out you`re not feeling good. Let me guess, headache too?"

"No."

"You squinted when you said that. Obvious lie."

"It`s freaking bright out!" Danny gestured wildly at the sky. "You see that big ass ball in the sky that is the sun? Seeing we are closer to the equator than I was back in Newark, we are thus closer to it. Thus it is bright, and sometimes, bright sucks!"

Steve sighed as they got closer to the crane. "Whatever you say, Danno." He paused a moment before giving Danny a hurt look. "And why didn`t you tell me Gracie was sick? I could have come to help."

"That's very kind of you, Steve, but being the amazing doting father I am I was able to nurse my little girl back to perfect health all by myself before Rachel even knew she was ill. And what does that tell you about where her parenting skills have gone?" Danny coughed again, feeling instantly guilty at having said that about his ex. Danny had picked Grace up from school last Friday and she hadn`t shown signs of feeling under the weather until that night. Rachel wouldn`t have had any idea. He knew he got relatively irritable when he was sick, so he blamed the cold. "If I must now suffer so she can be well, then so be it."

"That`s very noble, but any more of that nasty sounding cough, or if you so much as sniff in my general direction, I`m sending you home. I refuse to suffer with you."

Danny saluted him with one finger as they entered the shadow of the container crane. The huge piece of equipment towered overhead, painted in the most god awful shade of yellow Danny had ever seen. Easily 300 feet tall, up close the machine was quite impressive and had a number of spots where a sharp shooter could roost with an excellent, unimpeded view of the shipping yard.

"What I don`t get," Danny mused, "is how the shooter knew these guys would be down here in the first place. Obviously something nefarious was going down, but if it was gang related, there would be no way the Samoans would let the Yakuza know their business. It`s how the two gangs have been able to cohabitate the island so long. I also doubt there would have been an internal gang hit, seeing as they're top lieutenants."

"I don't know, Danno. There`s too many variables in this whole thing, so let's take it one step at a time. For now," Steve pointed at the crane, "we`ll deal with the how."

"How in the hell do you even get inside that thing?"

"Let me deal with that." Steve gave the machine a once over. "I want you to cover the area around the base of the crane for shell casings. Afterwards, get a hold of the port authority and see if there were any ships docked here last night, or better yet, if they have any surveillance footage on this specific pier. I don`t think HPD got around to that before they handed the case over."

"Aye aye, Captain." Danny saluted again, this time properly just to piss him off, and got to work.

* * *

The hunt for any casings revealed nothing and after an hour and a half of fruitless searching, Danny got in touch with the head of security there at the port to ask them for the specifics. There was both good news and bad news as the man Danny spoke with, a Mr. Kinol, stated that there was ample security footage of each pier thanks to people like the Yakuza using the piers to doll out drugs and weapons to the highest bidder. The bad news was that there had indeed been a ship in that particular pier, for the last three days in fact, that had left earlier in the morning around 4:30. Kinol promised that he would have the camera footage ready by the time he and Steve were ready to leave.

Thanking the man, Danny hung up the phone…and promptly sneezed all over the touch screen.

"Mother…" Danny glared at the phone as though it were its fault he currently felt like shit in a microwave. Wiping the screen dry on his pants, he sighed audibly before punching the speed dial code for his partner. Shielding his eyes against the now-noonday sun, he tried to spot the man.

"_McGarrett._" Came the sharp answer.

"Hey, so I spoke with the authority. They have some good footage of the pier, which will be ready and waiting once you`re done your Spiderman routine, but there was a ship docked here earlier like we feared. One Bō Nŭwáng – "

"The Wave Queen, and you butchered that by the way."

"– which originates from China and would you let a guy finish before you cut in like that? It`s rude, Steven."

"_China, huh?_" his partner sounded relieved for some odd reason, but Danny figured an explanation was on the horizon. "_We won`t have to worry about the ship either way. I just found scorch marks up here on the jib._"

"Wait, where are you?" The blonde scanned the crane again. It took a moment to finally spot the little dark silhouette high above him. Danny waved but doubted very much that Steve could see. "I`m happy to hear that. Last time we had to deal with a Chinese freighter, you drove a car onto it."

"_That was almost two years ago. You have to learn to just let things go._"

"Not things concerning my health and safety, thank you."

"_Speaking of health,"_ Steve paused a moment, "_I want you to go back to the crime scene and grab a couple guys from the CSU to come up here and process the area. Our killer was sloppy enough to leave to burn marks, so maybe he left us some prints too. Then what I want you to do is go home and rest."_

Danny couldn`t help the groan that escaped him. "Seriously? You`re going to bench me? I am fine! I haven`t even sneezed or coughed during this entire conversation, which if I am to remember correctly, was part of the deal _you_ came up with."

"_I said if I heard anything more, yes, but I`m not talking about this conversation, Danno." _Steve laughed. "_Funny thing is, with no wind, sound can travel pretty far. I`ve also been watching you from up here; I know you too well, brah. You can`t hide the fact that you`re hurting from me._"

"I hate you, you know that?"

"_You remind me every day. Now go. I`ll give you a call tonight to see how you`re doing, and if I detect any signs of deception on your part, you`re not coming in tomorrow either."_

"Yes mom." Danny growled before hanging up. Giving a few small coughs, he glared at the ocean before heading back towards the car, resisting the urge to chuck his phone into the deep water. "Fucking island."

* * *

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

Wow, I am just blown away with all the positive comments I've received so far about this story! I'm trying to respond to everyone who reviewed but it's taking a bit of time. Big thanks to everyone who reviewed, or added this story to their favorites and watch list.

* * *

Steve met the pair of CSU techs at the base of the crane, but he barely noticed them and their waves of acknowledgement. His eyes were busy watching his partner as the blonde entered his silver Camaro and drove out of the quayside. He didn't feel guilty in the least about sending the man home; he needed his team to be at 100% at all times, especially with the subjects they dealt with on a daily could handle the complaining come tomorrow if it meant Danny was feeling better and able to better protect himself.

Explaining his findings to the techs, he left them with the crane and returned to the initial crime scene. The heat of the day had done nothing to help with the smell of congealing blood, which was now closer to black than red. He didn't bother to spend a lot of time analyzing the mess, knowing samples were with Fong and they would hopefully have some answers soon. Passing the pool, he headed towards the structure of offices that was the Port Authority. He'd grab that footage Danny had mentioned then head back to HQ. Hopefully Lori and Chin had something to go on by now.

He was still ten feet from the front door when it swung open to reveal a small, thin man of Samoan descent. He wore the light blue uniform of the federal legislative body, the patches on his arms and epaulets stating he was the person in charge here.

"Commander McGarrett?" the man extended his hand when Steve was closer. Steve shook it with a nod. "Albert Kinol. I spoke with your partner earlier, and I have that footage ready that you requested."

"Excellent. Thank you for your quick work." Steve stated as he followed Mr. Kinol into the air conditioned building. He watched as the man pulled a swipe card from his breast pocket and led him over to a magnetically locked door to the left of the public area and reception desk. Scanning the card, the door released and they entered a long, dimly lit gray corridor.

"No need to thank me, Commander. We`re more than happy to assist the police and Five-0 in this investigation. We`ve had too much bloodshed here on the docks as of late thanks to gang activity. It's making our jobs here a lot harder." Albert sighed, sounding bone tired. "Just the other week, one of my men was nearly shot when he came across a drug deal in progress. He had to take nearly three days leave just to collect himself."

"I`m sorry to hear that, Sir." Steve was never good with finding the right thing to say in such situations. He waited as the smaller man paused at another door and swiped the card again.

"Please, just Albert." Leading the way, they entered an impressive room of wall-to-wall computer screens showing everything from the port entrance, the piers, ships of every size and a few Steve was certain were inside the building. Three officers sat at the control hub, eyes diligently scanning each of the circulating monitors. Upon noticing their boss' entrance, one stood and walked over to a bank of towers and external hard drives shoved into the far corner. Grabbing something, she turned back to her boss and handed him what looked like a junk drive. Mr. Kinol then handed it to Steve.

"May I introduce Miss Marilyn Wong." Albert gestured to the officer. She was young, no more than 24 Steve guessed, with deep brown eyes and long black hair pulled back into a loose bun. "She's been on shift since nine last night and volunteered to stay until she could speak with the police."

"What for?" Steve looked at Albert, then narrowed his eyes. "So we have a possible witness? Why didn't you tell my partner? You realize keeping information like that could be seen as interfering with the investigation and you could be arrested!"

"Please, don't be mad with him. It was my fault!" Marilyn took a step forward, catching McGarrett's attention. "He didn't know until a few minutes ago when I told him. I wanted to speak with you, Commander, and no one else."

Steve looked puzzled. "Why? What did you see?"

The officer looked a little nervous but her voice was firm. "There`s a private secondary parking lot on the other side of the docks, reserved for staff, that I like to park at; lets me get in a good walk to get here, plus I love the smell of the ocean. My route goes right by the crime scene." She paused and Steve hoped she was going to get somewhere with her conversation. "Last night when I got here, around 8:30, I heard voices coming from around the shipping crates so I went to have a look. With all the gang activity around here lately I thought it would be a good idea." She glanced at her boss, as though she expected to be reprimanded.

Steve`s heart jumped a beat. This could be the break they needed. "Go on."

She nodded. "There were four men, all dressed in black and three of them were holding large guns. I just peaked around the corner so I don`t think they saw me. When I saw the weapons I didn`t stick around, but it sounded like they were arguing."

"What about, can you remember?"

She thought a moment before going on, still calm and collected. "Two of them were saying something about a big score, so I thought maybe it was a drug deal. One of the other guys looked pissed about something but didn`t say much. The fourth man kept repeating something like `No, it`s too risky. It`s a stupid move`. Stuff like that."

"Do you remember what they looked like?" Steve prompted, mind already trying to put pieces together. His team was right, it definitely sounded like a gang hit.

"They all looked local, but two of the men were definitely Asian; Chinese or Japanese. They were facing me at the time, and they were the two that...Kevin found." Marilyn looked a bit ill for a moment, and Steve couldn`t blame her. "As for the other two, one was Asian and the other looked like he was Samoan. Both were pretty tall."

Steve couldn`t believe his luck, but at the same time a small voice in his mind was yelling something was off. A few things actually…the other man was Samoan? That made no sense. "Thank you for staying around to tell me this. I`m going to get a reliable officer, someone whom I trust, in here to grab your statement. I`ll also see about getting a sketch artist to come by for a composite, if you`d be willing to stay a little longer."

She smiled, obviously as happy to help as her boss. "Of course, Sir."

Suddenly it hit Steve what had been nagging at him. "Did you report seeing these men to HPD at all last night? And why did you want to tell me personally?" He was sure his team would have found such a statement without him needing to ask, or that the officers investigating beforehand would have put the two incidences together. There had been nothing in the initial report of the murders about this.

"No, I didn`t."

Steve`s brows shot up. "No? Why would you not go straight to the police with this? Especially since you're all so concerned about what's been happening here." Her boss was looking at her suspiciously now as well. Steve then paused, thinking. She was an officer of the authority and a seemingly smart woman. The only reason he could think of that could silence someone so completely was fear. "What are you scared of?"

"I didn`t report anything because of something the Samoan man said, why I only wanted to speak with Five-0." Now she definitely looked nervous. "He said he was a cop."

* * *

Danny fought and lost the battle to keep another hacking session at bay. The port having long since disappeared in his rearview, a small part of him was grateful to Steve for shipping his sick ass back home; the small itch in his throat had grown into the sensation of a razor being scraped down his trachea in only a few short hours. He hoped to god it was something simple, like the flu, and Grace didn`t contaminate him with something much worse. Her immune system had always amazed him. She could kick a cold in two days, and when she was little and had had her tonsils removed, she was nearly back to full health days before the doctor's estimate. It would just be his shitty luck if she`d given him some lethal, contagious virus she'd been able to simply brush off.

Stopping at a red light just in time to erupt into a sneeze that made his eyes water, he sighed miserably. "Just fabulous…First we get called in on a Saturday, and then I get sick and sent home. Some weekend…" he muttered to himself. "Of course I get sent home the one day Steve isn't feeling suicidal, or homicidal for that matter. Now I finally get to drive my own car, only to be sitting at the world's longest red light, sick, talking to myself."

He seriously felt like slamming his head against the steering wheel. Instead he opted to simply run a hand through his hair.

As his fingers tunneled their way through his thick blond hair, he paused as his senses suddenly went into high alert. The fine hairs on the back of his neck rose as he recognized the feeling; he was being watched. Being as casual as possible, he placed both hands back on the wheel and took a quick look out the driver's side window…and promptly started laughing. There, in the blue little Civic idling next to him were a pair of small brown eyes and a dome of curly black locks, just starting at him. The child was so small, Danny could see nothing else; he couldn't even tell the little one's gender. Being caught in the act, the kid waved enthusiastically and the detective returned the gesture, his body once again relaxed.

Until he sneezed again.

Out of Kleenex, he sniffed in annoyance but couldn't help the smile that stayed on his face. The kid didn't know it, but they'd just made his day. "I'm getting way too paranoid." He mused, watching as the turn signal blinked green and the Civic drove off. "I blame Steve."

As the light for his own lane turned green and he stepped on the gas, he never saw the black SUV barreling down on him. Running the red, it smashed fiercely into his passenger side door with an explosion of glass and the shriek of tearing metal. The force of the impact slammed his head and shoulder into the driver's side window, breaking it apart and throwing glass about the pavement. Danny was unconscious before the Camaro struck the curb, blissfully unaware as the vehicle began to roll.

* * *

"None of this is adding up, Chin." The Commander barked into his phone, stepping out from the cool building back into the scalding hot afternoon. Waves of heat off the concrete made the distant figures of the CSU shimmer and dance. "IA and Fryer would have swept HPD for any more moles and scrubbed the place of dirty cops. The man`s ruthless. It also doesn`t help over half the department is Samoan."

"_We`ll figure this out Steve and expand our search to the Samoan gangs. You just have to keep cool." _Chin sounded tired. "_How is the witness doing?"_

"She`s fine. I had Duke take her statement earlier and she`s with the sketch artist as we speak. We'll have a face to our third victim soon, hopefully…she said he was Asian, which also makes no sense if it were gangs. Samoans and the Yakuza would never run together." Passing the remaining officers at the scene, giving one a friendly nod, he headed to the parking lot and Duke`s waiting squad car. "She`s scared, man. She figured if she reported anything to HPD it would get back to our dirty mystery officer and she`d be in danger."

"_She sounds like a smart girl. The department doesn`t exactly have a stellar track record when dealing with underhanded officers. How's everything else going down there?"_

"CSU is still up on the crane; we`ll know something once they do. I`m on my way back to HQ with the port footage as we speak. How is your initial search coming?"

"_Nothing yet, but with this new info I hope we'll get something quick. There's nothing in the missing persons archive as far as gang ties for the Yakuza, which I myself find amazing. Those who did have any link to these people were found dead. No one likes loose ties."_

"Well, thanks to Miss Wong, lets hope there's something there Chin."

"_Unless they`ve taken to kidnapping and killing randoms off the street, seeing as we would have heard of a missing uniform."_

"Not their style. Way too sloppy." Steve sighed heavily as he reached Duke's blue and white, swinging the door open and flopping down heavily into the passenger seat. "Have you heard anything from Kono?"

"_Nothing on my end so far but with her around Fong is bound to work harder just to impress her."_

That thought brought a smile to Steve`s face. Kono had that effect on quite a number of people. "I hope so. I'll be back in ten. I sent Danny home so Duke`s offered to give me a ride."

"_Sounds good, brah. And I'm happy to hear you sent him home; you should have heard him before you got in this morning."_

Steve rolled his eyes. Stubborn son of a bitch… "Thanks Chin. See you soon." Ending the call, he leaned back into the chair as Duke pulled away from the piers, wishing he had some painkillers handy. If the dull throbbing that was beginning to beat behind his eyes were any indication, this case was going to give him a migraine before the day was through.

"Don't fret so much right now, Steve." He turned to Duke as the man spoke up. "We both know the initial investigation is always the hardest part. You have a great team; you'll have this one in the bag in no time."

The older man's soft voice was calming and the Commander relaxed even more. "Thanks Duke. There are just a lot of strange pieces to this one."

Duke chuckled. "When are homicides anything but strange?"

Steve smiled, closing his eyes as the sun shone down on his through the window. "That, Sir, is an excellent question."

The two drove on in comfortable silence for quite a few minutes and Steve felt himself growing drowsy thanks to the warmth of the sun and the gentle rocking of the vehicle. His mind was too busy trying to connect the dots to fall asleep though. Four armed men, two Yakuza members dead, one body missing, a huge pool of blood, no living connections – thus far - and a potentially dirty cop. Though Marilyn had seen and heard the man state he was a police officer, for some reason Steve had his doubts. After the Kaleo fiasco, HPD had been keeping a tighter reign on their officers. It would be near impossible to deal in anything nefarious and get away with it now.

The sudden crackle of the squad car's radio coming to life had both men turning their eyes towards it. Without preamble, the dispatcher came on the line.

"_Attention any available unit, reports coming in of a Code 10-400 in the intersection of Kapiolani and Piikoi Street. EMS and Fire already dispatched, any available units in the area please respond."_

"Code 10-400?" Steve shot Duke a questioning look; he still wasn't up to par on all the codes, seeing as they used only a handful of them on a regular basis. Danny had taught him quite a few but there were well over six hundred of the damn things.

The Sergeant kept it brief. "Traffic accident, a hit and run to be exact. I'll have to respond, sorry for the detour." Grabbing the mike, he barked, "Sergeant Lukela and Commander McGarrett en route. ETA four minutes from Ala Moana."

Flipping on the lights and sirens, Duke pulled a quick U-turn and headed back past the piers, onwards towards Piikoi. Steve always loved the thrill of being in a fast car, sirens blaring, weaving in and out of traffic like some demented video game. The rush was amazing, and being behind the wheel of said car was even a better high. Of course, he'd never tell Danno that little tidbit; the man would never let him near the Camaro ever again.

Sailing past Queen Street, cars parting before them to allow the police vehicle safe passage, it wasn't long before they reached Piikoi. Taking a left turn through the intersection, they found themselves pulling in behind the responding fire engine, its red lights blazing as it led the way. Steve leaned closer to Duke, trying to see around the massive machine for a glimpse of the accident in front of them, but it was impossible to catch sight of anything but bumper. When the large engine did pull aside to allow them onto the scene, Steve's blood turned to ice.

The carnage was everywhere, broken glass and pieces of vehicle lay strewn about the intersection. What had Steve out of Dukes car and running was the silver Camaro that lay on its roof further down on Piikoi's pedestrian sidewalk. The once elegant car now looked more like an accordion, the hood and trunk laying wide open and both sides of the vehicle were smashed in. None of the windows remained intact, instead becoming a morbid trail of glass and plastic that Steve barely noticed as he skidded to a halt next to the wreck. He didn't need to see the license plate to know who owned it.

"Danny! DANNY!" Steve hollered, crouching next to the caved passenger side window. It took less than a second to realize he's never see his partner through the twisted metal and quickly moved to the windshield. "Danno, can you hear me?"

The approaching sound of Ambulance sirens assured him that help was on the way as he desperately tried to look around the crumpled hood. The engine was emitting an ominous hiss and smoke had started to appear, revving Steve into a mild panic. If the car caught fire before he could get Danny out…he didn't want to think about it. Once again figuring it was fruitless, and not wanting to waste any more time, he moved yet again towards the other side of the vehicle. "Danno!" Steve yelled, then paused as he spotted the damage done. The driver's side was in fairly better shape than the rest of the vehicle, thank God, but he didn't like the look of the smeared pool of blood around the crushed window. Hitting his hands and knee's, Steve peered into the car…and saw nothing. No more blood, thankfully, but no ranting injured partner either. A glint of light caught him in the eye as he peered about, and carefully reaching past the mangled steering wheel, he pulled a small crushed cell phone. Danny's phone. There went that tracking method.

"What in the hell?" Looking around, spotting the Ambulance pull in, he waved them over. Grabbing the driver as she leapt from the vehicle, he shouted at the paramedic, "Was there an ambulance here before you? Was anyone transported?"

The woman looked startled, glancing between Steve and the destroyed sports car. "We were the initial responders. No one else was closer, so it's impossible that anyone could have come and gone already."

Suddenly numb, he let her go and turned back to the Camaro, the shouts of emergency responders and sirens dimming into a buzz in the back ground. Just to make sure he wasn't losing his mind, he went back onto all fours and peered inside the wreck once more. Still no partner, no sign of Danny anywhere. Glancing at the blood again, he felt his stomach twist with nausea. He hoped beyond hope that some good samaritan had been kind enough to stop and help his partner, or that maybe he had pulled himself out and was already being treated elsewhere, but his logical mind doubted it. He closely inspected the streaks, now looking more and more like drag marks, following them with his eyes for a good foot before the blood disappeared altogether. The second person to disappear into thin air today…

Taking a deep breath, not wanting to think of what it all meant, he grounded himself and began a thorough search of the surrounding area as more police arrived to quell the mounting chaos and to direct traffic around the scene. Walking a short distance further up the road, he found what he was looking for. Deep black tire marks were burnt onto the pavement leading away from Danny's car, north towards the Lunalilo Freeway and didn't that just sit so wrong in Steve's gut. There was no longer any doubt; someone had his partner.

Glaring at the abhorrent marks he pulled his phone out, ready to begin photographing any and all evidence, when his phone began to ring.

* * *

Kono tapped the tip of her pen against her teeth, watching but not seeing the flashing fingerprints flow across the screens behind Fong's desk. She'd already been here for nearly four hours, but no amount of pleading with Fong or, even though she hated herself for it, fluttering of eyelashes had made progress even faster. She knew it wasn't like how it worked on television; these things took time to process but damn if she wasn't growing impatient.

Letting out a heavy sigh, she let her head fall backwards and her hands fall to her sides. She hated feeling useless, not doing anything and knowing the others were probably making some type of headway. She hadn't phoned to check in yet, or to see how the others were, so figuring it was better that nothing she pulled her phone out and dialed up Lori.

It was only two rings in when the spunky blonde answered. "_Weston here_."

"Lori, its Kono." She knew she sounded bored to tears bus didn't really care at this time. She would when Fong gave her the answers she wanted. "I've still got nothing. How about you two?"

"_Just a second, I'll put you on speaker_." She heard the clink of the phone against the glass table and suddenly she could hear papers shuffling and Chin in the background. Lori sighed before continuing, "_We have nothing yet either, though Steve did call in a short while ago stating he found a witness who puts four men on the docks last night. She also stated that all but one man was Asian, the other being Samoan; apparently she heard his say he was a cop_."

"Wait, what?" Kono gaped. There was another dirty cop in HPD? "Seriously? Where are they getting their officers lately, shady alleys?"

"_No joke, cuz."_ Chin sounded like he wanted to punch something. "_Maybe Kaleo had an underling we didn't know about_."

"_Either way, we've looked at nearly everyone we can think of on the Yakuza side. Aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, cousins of parents, nieces twice removed, business associates, and every registered gang member…either no one is missing or they're already dead, old age or otherwise_." Lori muttered. "_We were just about to start expanding the search when you phoned. Also, Steve's on his way back with the pier footage. Danny's home sick, so here's hoping we get this thing figured out soon, especially with a man down._"

Kono bowed her head. If she wasn't tired before… "Well, this day has been just great." She bit sarcastically. "I'm thinking all we need is one solid lead and all the pieces will fall into place. Hopefully that'll happen before the Yakuza goes on a rampage."

"_No kidding. Innocent lives might be on the line if we don't get this one solved, and fast!"_

Kono heard the light tapping of the smart table's keypad as Lori and Chin worked. Not wanting to waste anymore of their time, Kono said, "Well, I'll let you guys work. I'll call once these samples finally get back to me."

"_Sounds good, cuz."_ Chin said. "_Oh, and Kono? Keep your head up. I know how easily bored you get_."

"Thanks Chin." Kono laughed, already feeling better. Chin just had this way about him that soothed most people. Whenever Kono was having a bad day, a simple phone call with her cousin made a world of difference.

Hanging up, she jumped as a hand suddenly found her shoulder. Spinning, she was met with a smiling Charlie Fong just behind her, a manila envelope clenched in his hands. She returned the smile, knowing what it meant.

"Fong, I was just going to track you down." Kono eyed the envelope. "For me?"

"You know it!" Fong handed the envelope over to her, beaming like a lighthouse. "It bears good news too."

Kono smiled at him, causing a light blush to rise across his cheeks. "We have an ID on our victim?"

Fong nodded. "It's certainly not what I expected, but its good news either way."

Curious and eager, she tore into the envelope and pulled the slip of paper out to being reading. The more she read, the more her smile dropped until finally she looked back towards Fong. "What is this?"

Fong became serious. "Like I said, it wasn't what I was expecting myself. It's why it took so long to get back to you; our computers were finding nothing so we did a more thorough investigation. Those were the results that came back. It's certainly better than having someone else's blood on our hands."

"Yeah…" Placing the paper on Fong's desk, Kono pulled her cell phone out and quickly punched in McGarrett's number. She didn't have long to wait; Steve picked up the call before the first ring had gone through.

"_Kono?"_

The native paused, hearing the tinge of panic in her boss's voice. Steve McGarrett never panicked. "Boss, what's wrong? Is that a fire truck in the background?"

"_There was an accident. The Camaro is trashed…Danny's missing."_

Kono threw a hand over her mouth, covering a sharp gasp. "What do you mean missing? Lori told me he was at home sick."

"_He never made it back to the Hilton. Duke and I responded to the accident and found the wreck. We were first on the scene but Danny was already gone. Please tell me you have something, 'cause I don't believe in coincidences._

Kono took a moment to gape at her cell. "Wait…you don't think they're related, do you?"

"_Two big name gang bangers are murdered then as soon as we get the case Danny gets taken? It has to be connected."_

The fine hairs on Kono's arms began to rise as a surge of adrenaline and fear for her friend rushed through her body. "Well, the tests are back in, but it won't help us Boss."

"_What do you mean?_"

Kono stared at the sheet, gripping the edge of the counter for both mental and physical support. "The test results positively ID'ed our two victims but the last sample wasn't even human."

"_Say again?"_

"Our third body isn't a person, it's an animal. Testing shows it's canine blood on scene!"

The pause on the other end was so long, Kono thought she had lost connection. Then Steve's voice filtered back over the phone, his expression and tone summing up everything Kono was thinking.

"_What the fuck is going on?"_

* * *

To be continued


	3. Chapter 3

Steve stormed through the double glass doors to HQ for a second time that day, this time being with more force necessary caused by anger, frustration and concern. Kono was already back, standing next to Lori as the remaining members of his team turned to face him.

Saying nothing, he ran a hand over his face before gripping the edge of the smart table.

"Do we have anything at all to go on?" he finally muttered, suddenly exhausted.

"We're running names through the system for any Samoan individuals who have ties to or in Japan and the Yakuza. It's a huge shot in the dark," Lori sighed, "but it's the last thing we could think of. The Yakuza might have had a double agent with the Samoans, though with their blood feud, it's a huge might."

"It's something at least." Steve pulled the junk drive from the port authority from his pocket. Handing it to Chin, he briefly explained what it was. "I'm hoping there's something on that video feed that'll help us. I also have Duke pulling the video from the traffic cam at the intersection where Danny was hit. We'll know a vehicle description soon; Duke promised me it would be handled as fast as possible."

"Until then…" Chin announced, slipping the drive into the table. Almost immediately a small window popped up revealing a video file. Clicking it open, the team was faced with a black window and a pop of static before the feed began to roll. The camera was nothing special, and fairly grainy, but the dark shapes of crates and freighter ships came into view as well as a time stamp.

The footage was grainy at best, and would cut out completely for a few seconds at its worst. Steve gave an inward groan. If the footage cut out before they got what they needed, they were up a shit creek with no paddle. Chin and Kono tag teamed the smart computer, Kono trying to enhance the poor quality as Chin forwarded it to the 2200 mark. They both worked diligently, each with a pace that told Steve all he needed to know; hurried yet calm, eyes flashing with emotion and concentration. Glancing towards Lori, he watched as she worried her bottom lip with her teeth, eyes never leaving the screen as though it were a lifeline. They were scared and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't as well. He could practically hear Danny's voice in his mind, reminding him of all the ways the military must have methodically wiped Steve of all personal feelings, save for a few 'looks'; Mr. Show-No-Emotions-McGarrett, Get-My-Partner-Shot Steven. Just then, the Commander would have given anything to hear the man rant on. He'd find his partner, one way or another. He had no intention of ever having to converse with Grace about how her Danno was not coming home.

"There!" Lori yelled, nearly causing him to jump as he was pulled back to the here and now. Blinking, his eyes once again found the monitors but saw nothing out of the ordinary. "Go back about four seconds Chin and pause on my mark." The blonde demanded.

Hitting rewind, Chin waited for her word then hit pause. As soon as he did so, a small flash of light could be seen on the end of the pier near the crane that Steve had investigated earlier. It was faint, but it was shat they were looking for.

"A muzzle flash." Kono stated, smiling at Lori. "Good eyes! And the time is stamped at 22:13; Fits with Max's TOD."

Steve stared at the screen, at the flash of light that had taken two lives last night, at a gunman that might have spirited his partner away. "Chin, Kono, I want you both on this frame hard! I want that image as pristine as possible, every pixel examined, every shade lightened; if we can ID our shooter, we may get an idea as to who took Danny."

"You got it." Chin grinned, already hard at work.

Steve knew that getting a better quality to the frame would be a long shot, but if anyone could do it, it was Chin and Kono. Some of the things those two could do with a computer boggled his mind. Turning back to their newest addition, he said, "Lori, you and I are going down to HPD and see where Duke is with that camera."

McGarrett didn't even wait for a confirmation nod before he was turning and marching towards the doors. "I want this son of a bitch identified before nightfall!"

"Yes, Sir!" three voices echoed in unison as he left, Lori on his heels.

* * *

Even before Danny had been recruited into the police academy back in Jersey, he had always been intensely aware of his surroundings. He was constantly scanning the area, mapping in his mind the names of streets, comparing routes and destinations, cities, hell even the countryside was carefully categorized and logged away. After Grace had been born, that seemingly innate instinct had been compounded upon a thousand fold. He had initially figured it was a parent thing, a primal need to be extra vigilant, but not even Rachel had been as perceptive about their daughter's environment as he had been, and still was. It's what had made him a good cop right out of training, what made him a good father. The instinctual need to know the obscure particulars was how he was able to keep her safe when idiots sped through playground zones and how he could spot someone packing a handgun in a crowded baseball stadium while everyone else was blissfully unaware.

Thus as he slowly began to regain consciousness, it was the sense of utter wrongness and disorientation that had his breath and heartbeat rising. The grit beneath his right cheek bit harshly into his skin and he grimaced, fighting to work his eyes open so he could try to figure out what the hell had happened. He remembered the red light and the child in the Civic, watching as the car drove away…then nothing. He should be in his car, or better yet, in bed. The pounding in his head was making it hard to think right then. Oh god, had he been in an accident? If so, this sure as hell wasn't a clinic.

Finally managing to crack his right eye open, his left apparently swollen closed, he groaned as said pounding became a needle-sharp pain whilst his vision tried to adjust to the sudden influx of pale light. Moving to block the light, he gasped and bit down a scream as his left arm and shoulder burned with a fierce agony. Fighting down the bile rising in the back of his throat, he craned his neck ever so carefully to squint at the damage. Instantly he wished he hadn't as he spotted a very obviously dislocated shoulder as well as a massive dark bruise along his upper arm beneath a tear in his shirt; he wasn't a doctor by a long shot but judging by the deep penetrating ache, he guessed it was broken. Probably a concussion too, just to put the cherry on top of the fucked up cake. He could feel matted hair against the back of his neck as well as a stinging sensation just above and behind his left ear. He decided he better chalk the concussion up to a certainty. Compounded with his cold, he could honestly state he felt like shit. And his shoes had been taken…well, fuck.

"I hate you, Hawaii, so very much." He sighed, finally taking in his surroundings as he rolled himself onto his back. If he had to guess where he might be, he'd put his money down on abandoned warehouse. The room was gray…just gray. The walls were made of large blocks of stone, the dirty – possibly white – paint peeling in most places, gone completely in others. The lone window above his head was ridiculously small, situated between two large air conditioning units, which allowing for just enough light to filter down to reveal the dirt and dust covered floor he was currently laying on. Giving a great sneeze, he watched in disgust as a huge plume of dirt became air bound. What bothered him most, though, was the large industrial steel door that stood ominously on the other side of the room. The type used for storehouse freezers, Danny mused to himself silently.

Definitely not the Hilton.

"Well…shit." Danny grimaced, gently pushing himself into a sitting position with his good arm. Feeling nothing shift that wasn't supposed to, he got himself to his feet, injured limb cradled carefully at his midsection. Shuffling towards the steel door, happy that his legs were only stiff and not injured – it meant he could run if the opportunity arose – he searched for a door handle. All he could spot was a small push plunger, no doubt the interior release. Pushing with all he had, Danny wasn't surprised when the door didn't budge.

A sudden wave of nausea and dizziness washed over him and he was forced to grab the meager handle to avoid falling over. Taking deep even breaths, which resulted in a coughing fit, he waited for the spell to pass as he internally cursed his luck as well as ever agreeing to become Steve McGarrett's partner. None of this shit ever seemed to happen to him before the man darkened his doorway.

As his body settled he gave the door a vicious hit with his fist, frustration taking over. He struck out at the steel again and again yelling profanities, demands to let him out and what would happen to his captors if they ignored his less that pleasant requests. The only answer was the echoing of the metal and his chest constricting into another round of rough hacking that left him wheezing. Turning his back to the door, he leant against it and slowly slid down to the filthy tile floor.

"Too late to care much about personal hygiene." He coughed taking in his bruised, bloody and dirt streaked body. "Come on, Super SEAL. Where's one of those kick ass extractions I've heard about? I could use a clean shirt, new pants, maybe a hospital…"

Watching the dust motes float lazily through the tiny beam of available light, he was unsure of how long he sat there until he woke with a start. He hadn't been aware he had even passed out, nor what woke him, until he heard the distinct rattle of metal on metal and the soft _snick_ of a disengaging padlock.

* * *

Lori followed Steve closely as they entered the main headquarters of HPD. The bullpen was a bustling mass of uniforms and plainclothes officers, all heading in one direction or another waiting for warrants, entering evidence or writing reports. Her boss led the way through the chaos and the blonde couldn't help but admire the way he held himself within the throng; even though he had never been a cop, he was more than capable of holding his own amongst the men and women here. Not to mention the fact that the man didn't care what the others thought of his modus operandi, seeing as they were less than ideal standard operating procedures.

At first, when the governor had appointed her as 'official babysitter', as she herself had termed, she saw exactly why Governor Denning had ordered her to keep tabs on Five-0; the group ran roughshod all over the island, having little time or bother for proper police procedures. Now having been with the team for a few months, she knew they did what they had to do in order to get what was needed accomplished, the governor and HPD be damned. It was no doubt why she felt the watchful eyes on her back as they approached Sgt. Lukela's desk. The man was hunched in front of his computer, office phone tucked between his head and shoulder.

Her boss gave the man a wave and Duke hung up almost immediately. She furrowed her eyebrows in question, and he seemed to get the message.

"I was just trying your cell phone, McGarrett." Duke stood, gesturing for the two to follow. Doing so without question, Lori and Steve trailed the sergeant as he headed towards the back of HQ. "The traffic camera at that intersection isn't a normal feed, seeing as it's almost eight years old; instead it takes high resolution photographs every three seconds."

Passing through a heavy set of wooden doors and into a long hallway, Lori had to almost jog to keep up with the older officer and her boss; the two men put up a harsh pace. "So what does that mean as far as reliable stills?"

The hall opened up onto the Crime Scene Unit's lavish offices and high tech laboratories, just as busy as back on the main bullpen. Lori paused long enough to throw Fong a friendly wave as they passed by his workstation and further into the heart of the building. The beeps of machines and whirr of computer towers almost drowned Duke out as he stated simply, "We got what you needed, but you're not going to like it."

"It involves one of our own, Duke. I don't like it already." Steve replied tensely.

"What do you mean by that Duke?" Though Steve was being passive aggressive, Lori was curious.

"Well, the stills themselves aren't pleasant considering it involves Detective Williams, but the picture becomes much worse with the addition of the composite sketches we received from your witness at the Port Authority."

"Wait." Steve glanced at his watch. "That was hours ago! Why didn't we receive copies of these sketches for our own documentation?"

"That's because she just finished with the artist not ten minutes ago." Duke sighed. "She kept changing the details, saying one thing or another wasn't right and with two composites to make it took quite a while. I wasn't sure how reliable the sketches were even going to be until I recognized one of your mystery men. Ill explain in a moment." Stepping up to a closed glass door, the sergeant held it open for Lori and Steve.

Closing the door behind him, he stepped around them and to a young officer behind the controls of a massive bank of computer screens. Lori inspected the room, marveling at the immense amount of technology shoved into the small room. Besides the twelve or so monitors that covered an entire wall, a huge bank of hard drives stood off to her left. The heat coming off the drives was immense and she felt her palms beginning to sweat just standing there. As Duke spoke with the man, she couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for him; being stuck in a hot box was only entertaining in one circumstance that she could think of.

Fingers flying over the keys, the young officer brought up a file containing several still photographs as Duke came to stand with them once again. "Sorry for the heat. We usually have the door propped open but everyone in the department had heard about what happened to Danny. We had to lock the door just so Brian here could get some work done without interruption from those `wanting to help`." He sighed before pointing back to the screens. "These were the best pictures we could find, all in order of occurrence from the top left, to the right, then down."

Lori's eyes followed each of the frames in turn, watching in horrid slow motion at the accident her friend had been involved in. The quality was very good, which made the scene even worse in her opinion. The clips clearly showed Danny at the red, then heading into the intersection to be struck by a black SUV with enough force to lift the vehicle off the road and send it tumbling down the street. Trying to ignore how the silver car crumpled like tin foil, she focused on the perpetrator. Form what she saw, the vehicle was a black Chevy Suburban but it had no plates on its rear bumper. The vehicle stopped only long enough for two men in masks to jump out the back doors and drag their friend from the wreck. She also tried hard not to spend too much time gawking at the amount of blood running down Danny's face before he and the men entered the vehicle.

Visibly shaking herself, she glanced up towards Steve. The man's face looked calm enough, but his eyes held a furious storm. She had seen the infuriated look in others she had worked with in the past; that tempest was one only spilt blood could quell. Looking back at Duke, she raised a brow. "How does this help us? They're wearing masks and the vehicle has no plates. We'd never narrow down the list of vehicles in time to find Danny safely."

The man gave her a smirk. "Well, they wore masks but the driver didn't." His charge seemed to know what the sergeant wanted and zoomed in on a shot of the Suburban, particularly the driver's side mirror. There, in almost perfect quality, was a profile shot of the man behind the wheel. The individual was a Samoan man, sporting a soul patch goatee, close cropped black hair and a gold ring in one ear. Before she could even ask, Duke walked over to the hard drives and opened a small filing cabinet she hadn't noticed before. He produced a piece of paper, holding it up for the Fiev-0 members to see. "Look familiar?"

The paper was one of the composites, as well as a near perfect match of the driver.

"His name is Brett Tamo, a local man with a rap sheet the length of this room. He's never had any priors in regards to the gangs around here, but I suppose it's never too late to start."

"Awesome work, Duke." Steve stepped up and took the paper from the sergeant. "Does he have any connections with HPD?"

Duke shook his head. "There`s no way this guy is with the Honolulu police, past or present. I`ve been around here longer than the Chief and Tamo`s only about thirty. I don`t have to run any more background on this guy to know that much at least."

Steve sighed in relief. No dirty cops to worry about then. "Thank god for small miracles, I guess. Do we have a current address on Tamo?"

"We do Commander, but we figured you would want point on this one. I have my men watching his house as we speak, ready to act on your word." Even with the good news, the man looked grim. "But he isn't the one I recognized. It was the other portrait, someone Tamo has worked for in the past and I suspect is again in this case. As soon as I saw it, I was on the phone trying to call you. That's when you showed up."

Pulling a second piece of paper from the cabinet, he handed it over to Steve. From her vantage point Lori couldn't see the picture but she did witness as Steve went wide eyed, the color leaving his face completely. Confused and curious, not having the patience to wait, she grabbed the paper from her boss almost too easily. Finally seeing the face, she almost lost the measly lunch she had managed earlier as an all too familiar face stared back up at her. She suddenly wanted to yell foul, that it couldn't be right – impossible even - but the resemblance was too uncanny to discredit the witness.

It was Wo Fat.

* * *

To be continued...

I know, I`m sorry for the short chapter. I was trying to end these chapters at just the right spot so I could extend the story and make sure the amount of content wasn`t too bad and it turned out smaller than I wanted. I think it works well though!


	4. Chapter 4

Hi everyone! Again, thank you all for the amazing reviews! I apologize for not responding to them as of late, but I`ve been super busy! A dream job of mine has come along and I`ve been busy working through the recruiting process. I promise to keep updating every two days or so but for the moment that`s all I have time for. I promise to get back to you all once I can! Now, let us get on with it.

* * *

As the rattling turned into a soft scraping, Danny scrambled away from the door as fast as his injuries allowed him. With only one arm he couldn't fight to the best of his abilities, which meant he needed enough room to lash out with his feet instead. Managing to get to his feet, holding a tentative breath, he fought hard not to cough as the door slid open. He wasn't about to appear weak in front of these people.

Danny couldn't stop the gasp as the last person he had expected to see walked through the door, looking tired and angry yet still retaining that smug aura the detective hated so much. Dressed in a fine black suit and a dark gray dress shirt, flanked by two huge goons with matching glares and H&K UMP submachine guns strapped around their shoulders, Wo Fat looked more prepared for an arms deal than the interrogation Danny knew was no doubt coming. As the man casually inspected his expensive looking cufflinks, the detective threw as much heat and hatred into his voice as possible.

"You know what my biggest regret in life is? Not having put a bullet between your eyes back in Korea."

"That's not the best attitude to start off our conversation with, Detective." Wo Fat didn't look at him, still too busy with his cuffs.

"Oh, and kidnapping me and locking me in some nasty-ass fridge is your idea of pleasant?" Danny waved his good arm about the grime encrusted room, wincing as it pulled on his injuries. "I'll log that away for when McGarrett comes and takes you out. I'll be sure to fill your coffin with dirt before you go six feet under."

"He won't be here for quite some time, I assure you." The man finally raised his head, giving Danny a pleasant smile that didn't reach his eyes. "He'll come when I want him to, which means we have a while yet to become acquainted."

The jersey native didn't like the implied undertone. "He's a SEAL, not a dog. He's not going to come running when you whistle."

Wo Fat chuckled, taking a few steps further into the room. "Well, thanks to a little setback, I'm quite certain he will now that you're here."

It hit him then like a hammer, the reason he was here broken and bloody. It's because he wasn't meant to be. "It was Steve that was supposed to be in here, isn't it? What happened, the idiot twins behind you have a listening problem?"

The man laughed again, this time seemingly more genuine. "Well, you know the saying…good help and all that. Seeing as he's always in the driver's seat of that sleek number you own, I tried to keep instructions as simple as possible. My mistake, really."

It was official; Steve was never touching his car ever again. That was, if he still had a car. About to reply, Danny could no longer hold back the coughs that rattled his lungs and nearly had him doubling over breathless and in pain. He didn't bother covering his mouth as the fit shook through him; if he was lucky he could infect the rest of these idiots.

"Under the weather, are we? Fever perhaps? I must say, you have looked better."

"Go to hell." Danny wheezed, hoping the man would walk closer. He really just wanted to kick the guy square in the face. "What do you want?"

"Answers, Detective. Answers you and your little group robbed me of back in North Korea. That reminds me…" Before Danny could even comprehend, Wo Fat was in his face and catching him in the stomach with a vicious right hook. Barely having enough air beforehand, the shot knocked any hope of regaining his breath from him and sent him to his knees. Gasping, he tried desperately to breathe through the pain and congestion as he clutched his arm protectively. He heard the bastard laugh and he would have gladly acted on his desire for violence if it didn't hurt so much to simply take in air_._

"That…" Wo Fat leaned in close, as though talking to a child, "…was for being brazen enough to take McGarrett from me, as well as for thinking this was over."

With barely any air to speak, Danny instead spat in the man's face. He knew it probably wasn't the smartest move, judging from the situation, and was rewarded with a power heavy fist to the face. He hit the ground hard, only vaguely aware of the copper taste of blood in his mouth as his vision grayed and nausea reared its ugly head. Maybe he'd get to throw up on Wo Fat's shoes, he thought faintly, fighting to stay conscious. He'd so ruin his no-puking record for this asshole.

"Now," the man stood, all pleasantries – if that's what you wanted to call them – gone, "I want you to tell me everything you know about Shelburne."

Danny frowned. Either Wo Fat had clocked him harder than he though, or the man had lost his mind. Attempting to slowly get up, no longer wanting such an intimate close-up of the floor, he was stopped with a kick to the ribs. The Jersey native bit back a gasp as he felt his ribs shift under the man`s shoe and a lance of agony spiked across his chest. Another hard kick had him on his back and coughing harshly as Wo Fat's dark brown eyes stared down at him.

"Wha…" Danny gasped, "…what are you talking about?" he coughed, tasting more blood. "I don't…know anything…about that."

"I've been watching you all for some time, long before you got to Noshimuri." Wo Fat stated simply as if discussing the weather. "I know you and your partner are close. There's no way he would leave you out of something so important; he trusts you. There's also no way McGarrett and one senile old man could know as much as they do without additional assistance; neither are that smart."

"He's smarter than…either of us give him credit for." Danny stated. "He's certainly smarter than you."

White hot agony ripped a primal scream from the detective as Wo Fat, face twisted in rage, took his heel and ground it into Danny's dislocated shoulder. Danny tried desperately to twist away, break free from the pain, but his captor simply pressed in harder. This time he did vomit, choking as he tried to breathe, scream and spit it away all at once. Darkness rimmed his sight and he begged his mind to just let go and slip away, but he'd never been that lucky.

"I'll get my answers one way or another, Detective." Danny barely caught the man's words through the sound of his racing heart and anguished cries. The pressure suddenly lifted and he nearly cried with relief as the pain slowly began to ebb. "Maybe I should go ask that precious little girl of yours."

"You son…of a bitch!" Danny yelled, glaring up at the man with watery eyes. Coughing violently, he cringed and spat his mouth clean. "I'll kill you…I swear to God!"

"Swear all you want." The man said, once again all smiles and pleasantries. "No one can hear you out here." Folding his arms behind him, Wo Fat's look was one of curious interest, as if he couldn't comprehend why Danny wasn't telling him what he wanted. "It doesn't matter who tells me where Shelburne is; either way, I'll get what I want. If not, then I assure you, Detective, you will die here."

"If you even look at my daughter –"

"Her safety is completely dependent on how compliant you wish to be. She isn't who I want, or you for that matter." He took a knee, careful to avoid the new mess on the floor. "Just tell me what you know and you're free to go."

Somehow Danny really doubted that. "I don't _know_ anything! Yeah we're partners…" he coughed again, the action leaving him spent. "…but the guy keeps shit like that close to the vest. I know about the name, but not who or where. You're barking up the wrong tree."

"We'll see." Danny flinched as the man lent forward to hold a palm over his face. "You're burning up, Detective. Let's see what we can do about that." Standing he walked to the door, pausing only long enough to cast Danny a look over his shoulders before the heavy door was slamming shut and the lock could be heard sliding back into place.

Danny sighed heavily, too tired to move. It was true that he knew nothing apart from the fact that Shelburne was apparently a very popular individual. Stupid too seeing as he had managed to obtain an enemy in the Chinese arms dealer. Whatever Wo Fat wanted from him, Steven or Joe it was not going to happen seeing as they knew about as much as Wo Fat did. He hit his head lightly against the concrete. It was alike to being between a rock and another goddamn rock, a boulder really. He could at least leave a hard place…and now the bastard was threatening his daughter. For that the man was getting a bullet as soon as he figured a way out of this mess. For that, though, he had to move. And thus he came full circle to the root of his problems…

Clutching his bad arm, he attempted to sit up ever so slightly, gritting his teeth as pain spiked through his abdomen. Goddamn jerk and his goddamn pointed shoes…what upset him most was he didn't manage to puke all over them. Finally reaching a fairly vertical sitting position, remarkably managing to avoid hacking his lungs out, he began to wonder whether or not standing was a viable option when a loud click sounded above his head.

"What the fuck is it now?" he growled. Looking up, he watched as the fans of the twin air conditioning units began to spin. He had just enough time to cover his eyes before they kicked into high gear, blasting the room with cold air and throwing up a dark cloud of dust and debris. Dirt filled his lungs as he swore and coughed, even sneezing a few times as he shuffled closer to the door and as far from the units as possible. It didn't help and he began to shiver as the temperature started dropping rapidly. "Shit, shit, shit!"

Never in his life had he wanted to see Steve McGarrett more than at that moment. Burying his head under his arm to keep the swirling dust storm at bay, he only hoped they found him before Wo Fat got tired of waiting for answers that would never come.

* * *

Chin Ho was a patient man by nature, never one to jump to conclusion or create theories from nothing. He knew when it came to police work, time was of the essence but that it also took time to deduce and reason. It was all part of the job and it never ceased to amaze him that many other officers lacked his point of view. Too focused on being the first to find answers, make arrests, or otherwise kissing ass, Chin had found out how very quickly HPD was willing to turn on one another to either get ahead or because the higher-ups said fetch.

He shook his head at both the memories and due to the fact that he and Kono had gotten nowhere fast. The still image was just too grainy. All their combined talent and the latest image resolution software wasn't enough to get a better glimpse at their shooter. The fact that the perpetrator may have something to do with their ohana's disappearance only made matters worse, and Chin could slowly feel his rock solid patience beginning to crumble. Glancing at his cousin, he knew she felt the same if the glare she was shooting the computer was any indication.

"This is ridiculous!" Kono huffed, clarifying Chin's thoughts. "There's just nothing more we can do with this. The Port Authority really has to update their cameras."

"I know exactly how you feel." Chin sighed, looking at their photo once again. They had been forced to zoom in as far as the camera allowed, which certainly hadn't helped with their image problem. The pixels were too large, too blurry. They knew it had been a long shot but had run a facial scan anyway; the scan had lasted maybe two seconds before it too gave up, indicating an error. They had even gone through the footage and took more stills but nothing was working. It was a lesson in frustration.

"I just…" Kono paused and Chin gave his cousin another look, knowing what was coming. She had always been very open about her emotions. "I hate standing around here and feeling useless!"

"Kono…"

"This entire case has been screwed from the very beginning!" She seemingly ignored him. "Two people dead in the open, dog blood – an obvious red herring – , rival gang members coercing together –"

"Cats and dogs sleeping together." Chin interjected.

"This isn't a joke, Chin!" Kono bit off. If he didn't know her better, he would have been backpedaling.

"I understand that, but you have to realize that you have a knack for putting yourself down when you have no answers, not to mention stating the unbelievable." He explained gently, taking the wind from her sails. She visibly deflated as he went on. "Give yourself more credit; you're a great cop and we'll figure this out. Never think what you're doing is being useless."

"I just hate this."

"You've said that already." He grinned, causing her to mirror him. He paused a moment before he smiled wide. "And did you really use the term red herring? A little Sherlock Holmes, don't you think?"

She just shook her head, turning back to the computer. "That is what it's called, cuz."

"Can't argue with you there." He stated, reaching in to grab his phone as the familiar trill caught his attention. Looking at the caller ID he answered immediately, placing it on the smart table and onto speaker instinctively. "You're on speaker, boss."

"_It's Wo Fat, has been from the start_." Steve sounded breathless. Chin and Kono shared an incredulous look.

"Come again? Are you sure?" Kono asked which surprised Chin in and of itself. She had never questioned McGarrett beforehand. He too shook his head, though. It was a bit over the top…

"That's impossible. There's no way he would have been able to get back onto the islands so fast. He's on every government's radar."

"_It's him alright."_ It was suddenly Lori's voice on the line and the cousins could hear sirens in the background. "_We got a positive ID on him from the witness's sketch as well as the name of our other guy. His name's Brett Tamo, a known associate of Wo Fat as well as a local. His current address puts him in Kailua; we're on route to his place now."_

A screech of tires told the two Steve was behind the wheel as Lori quickly gave the man's address. With promises to be there as soon as possible, Chin hung up just as Kono's own phone went off. She answered as the two rushed to their prospective offices and grabbed their vests and spare magazines. They quickly reconvened at the main doors, Chin holding them open as Kono attempted to secure her vest whilst listening to the caller. Heading through the hallway and down the steps to the Palace's exit, she hung up as they approached the parking lot.

"That was Fong; CSU got a positive hit to Tamo from a print found on the shipping crane."

Securing his own vest, Chin grinned as he hopped into the passenger seat of Kono's Cruze. "And here you thought you were being useless." He said as Kono threw her seatbelt on. "To get us the info we need, especially for you, he'd move heaven and earth."

Kono smirked and blushed as she turned the engine and hit the gas, leaving a trail of rubber in her wake.

* * *

Parking his Silverado down Hualani Street with a squeal of brakes, half a block from Brett Tamo's listed address, Steve was out of the vehicle and flipping his vest over his head within seconds. The sirens from the cruisers pulling up behind him had gone silent blocks ago, aware that this arrest had to be treated delicately. If they scared Tamo off, a killer and arms dealer sympathizer would escape and worse, their only lead to Detective Williams disappearance would be in the wind. Chin had called ahead with the info from Fong, and it took all his patience and will power not to cheer. This asshole was in the bag; they just had to be sure he didn't slip away. More cruisers, led by Sgt. Lukela, would be going around the block to cut off any escape routes the man may take.

McGarrett had just finished with the last strap on his vest, Lori shadowing him, when Kono and Chin pulled in behind the cruisers. The cousins, as well as the ten or so HPD officers assisting with the arrest – all in full body armor and armed to the teeth – gathered around as Steve barked out his orders.

"I want all windows and doors covered," he pointed at the officers, "seeing as he's apparently alluded police in the past. It's a two story, so vigilance is key. You four," he pointed again, "are with us on breech; two per team. Chin, Kono, as soon as we breech I want the two of you taking the second floor. If you have to, flush him downstairs to us. Lori, you're with me on main. Everyone remain aware of your surroundings! This man is armed and extremely dangerous; we know he has at least one high powered rifle in his possession, maybe more. Most importantly, we shoot to injure, not to kill! We need him alive! Am I clear?"

A resounding "Yes, Sir!" flew through the air as they began to move, flowing towards the building like water. Adrenaline coursing, firearm up and ready, Steve led the charge through the meager fence gate and across the dried, dead lawn to the front door. He tried not to stare as he spotted a dark colored SUV parked deep within the driveway, its front end smashed in like an accordion. The house, the neighborhood it seemed, was quiet but for the chirping of birds. The area was bathed in a soft orange slow as the sun slowly began to set behind the horizon, shining off the black matte finish of his handgun. Not even traffic could be heard which set Steve's instincts on high alert. Taking position next to the door with Lori, Chin and Kono took the other side as two officers took out the flimsy wooden door with a well aimed strike of the battering ram. Before the door had struck the adjacent wall with a loud bang, Steve and his team were already inside the house on their respective points.

The living room was dark and dingy, thin black curtains covering the windows and blocking the sun from the scantily furnished home. One disgustingly stained couch and a small TV were the only things within the space and Steve cleared the area quickly with Lori watching his six. Passing through a small hallway into the kitchen, Steve was about to begin inspecting the pantry and small closet when he heard Chin's voice ring out upstairs.

"Brett Tamo, Five-0! Don't move!"

It wasn't a second later when a shot rang out and the sound of breaking glass was heard. Turning to offer assistance to the rest of his team, Steve paused when Duke's voice came over his earpiece, tinny but clear.

"_Suspect's on the move, heading west on Hualani towards Oneawa! All units respond!"_

Cursing the inept officer who let Tamo slip by, Steve bolted back out the front door and sprinted down the road. Tamo was effortless to spot, his six-four frame and bright Hawaiian shirt easy to see regardless of the deserted street. And, compared to the Commander, he was slow. It only took a few seconds to close a remarkable amount of distance between them.

Tamo came to a skidding halt as three police cruisers barreled around the corner of Oneawa and Hualani, lights flashing and sirens blaring, cutting off his route. It was the moment Steve needed as the man flinched back, distracted, and the SEAL charged forward for a full bodied tackle. He had almost reached the man, so close he could cross the distance with a well-placed leap, when Tamo produced a .45 Desert Eagle from his waistband. Steve halted, aiming his own weapon at the back of the man's head.

"Brett Tamo, you are under arrest! Put down your weapon!" Steve barked, bringing out the full Navy SEAL tone and intimidation. In his peripherals he could see HPD and his team surrounding the convict, weapons aimed. Tamo spun towards him but his gun was pointed skywards. A thin sheen of sweat covered his forehead, his eyes wide with fear.

"I can't! He'll kill my family if I speak to you!" Steve tightened the grip on his gun as Tamo pointed his own at his temple.

"Drop the weapon and we'll talk!" Steve stated simply, not moving an inch. He watched the man's trigger finger shake. "We can get your family the protection they need."

"Not in time!" The .45 wavered, sun glinting off the chrome. "He has my mother, my son!"

"And you think killing yourself is the way to go?" Chin yelled from Steve's left, shotgun loading with an ominous click. "Where will your son be then?"

"Alive!" Tamo screamed, and Steve realized talking was useless. Fear had the man gripped in a tight vise, putting that gun to Brett's head as sure as the convict had himself. Taking careful aim as Chin continued to chat him up, he waited for the right moment.

"He has people everywhere! He'll-"

Steve took the shot, the bang echoing along the homes. The bullet ripped through Tamo's wrist, breaking bone and ripping tendons apart, Steve knowing the hit would numb the hand but he'd fully recover. As expected the gun clattered to the asphalt and Brett screamed, clutching his bleeding limb and dropping to his knees. Steve and his team were on him instantly, throwing zip ties around his arms as the convict screamed and lashed out, terrified for his kin. Steve only gave the man the smallest of sympathies; driving a vehicle into his partner was something he didn't forgive, regardless of his situation.

Tamo screamed again as Steve viciously tightening the ties around the man's injury. Gripping the back of the bright printed shirt, Steve leaned in so Tamo could hear clearly. "You'll tell us everything we want to hear, or I'll kill you myself."

"What the hell kind of cop are you?" Tamo choked out, eyeing Steve up and down.

Dragging the man to his feet and towards the Silverado, Steve growled, "I'm not a cop. I'm a SEAL."

* * *

"Just start from the beginning, and for God's sake, it better be the truth." Steve's snarl echoed in the interrogation room back at the Palace. Brett Tamo sat shaking in the room's metal chair, his wrist wrapped in gauze. As a courtesy, only his uninjured wrist was cuffed to the chair but there had been no time for better medical care; Steve both wanted and needed answers _yesterday_ so a cast would have to wait. They had dragged him back here as fast as they could, Chin tossing him none too gently into the chair.

"You have to promise my family will be safe!" Brett huffed, still visibly terrified, sweat pouring off him despite the air conditioned space.

"We have HPD scouring the island for them. We'll find them and place them in protective custody." Chin's calm voice reassured, easing some of the tension from the room. Steve glanced at the one-way glass partition, knowing if Kono or Lori had heard otherwise they'd let him know. He knew the girls probably felt put out, not being allowed to take part in the interrogation. The room was only so big, and Tamo`s history showed a string of domestics with his ex; he probably wouldn`t have taken them seriously if they`d been there.

Chin`s words didn't seem to comfort the man and he remained silent. The native officer sighed and continued, "Our officers are the best in Hawaii; we'll find them." No promises.

Tamo sighed, looking between Steve and Chin before finally he stated, "Fine, but if you don't, you'll all be in the unemployment line! I`ll have all of Five-0 sacked!"

"Of course," Steve interjected, not caring about his empty threats. "Now, spill everything! Tell me where my partner is!"

Brett glared at Steve, voice expressing just how much he cared for the SEAL. "The hell you talking about?"

"We know you were driving a black SUV this morning, crashed it into a silver Camaro and kidnapped a cop." Chin watched Tamo`s shoulders droop at the mention of Danny`s car. "It was all caught on traffic cam, so don`t play stupid with us. He doesn`t like that too much." He nodded at his glowering boss for emphasis.

Holding his injured limb close Brett hesitated a moment, glancing back and forth between the two officers. "Look, I don't know where he is. It's above my pay grade."

Chin put out an arm to halt his boss as Steve advanced, eyes blazing, ready to tear into the Samoan. "Then tell us what you do know."

"Fine, ok! Jeez…I had worked for Wo Fat once before a few years ago; he screwed me over then, so when he asked for my help two days ago, I told him where to go."

"Pretty bold, considering his connections." Chin mused.

"Yeah, well, I didn't think he'd stoop so low…that he'd just hire someone else, you know? The guy's pupule!"

"Oh we know."

"Anyway, he drags me to this meeting down on the docks with these two gang bangers last night, not knowing he had my ma and kid. I guess these two owed him from some deal he'd made a while back, promising them both a nice paycheck if they helped him. He had men helping him already but these two were good, I guess. Know they`d get the job done, you know? When he started telling us what we were going to be doing, though, I didn't like it. Told him so too, that it was risky and stupid. That's when he got pissed, saying my family was dead if I didn't help him out."

"What was the plan?" Steve leaned against the wall, arms crossed.

"He kept referring to it as 'unfinished business'. Wanted us to kidnap some guy named McGarrett. I'd heard the name before, knew he was Five-0, but I don't watch a lot of TV. I didn't know he was so short."

Pieces clicked together in Steve's mind and he suddenly felt very ill.

"Anyway, they agree to help but only if they can get some of their buddies in on the gig too. Guess Wo Fat didn't like the idea cause he got real angry. Next thing I know he's breaking up the meet and sending me home to wait for more instructions."

Chin raised an eyebrow. "That's it? You went straight home?"

"Yeah, why?" Brett said slowly. Chin and Steve exchanged a glance.

"Those two individuals were found dead early this morning, shot with a high power sniper rifle." Steve explained softly. "We found muzzle burns on a shipping crane with a direct view of where the men were found. We also found a print belonging to you."

Tamo gave Steve a confused look, then to Chin and back. Shaking his head, he looked at the floor. "No, that's impossible. What crane? I've never been on a crane in my life."

Steve ignored his question, continuing. "With that fingerprint match, you'll be heading to Halawa Correctional for two counts of first degree murder, and this is…what? Your third strike? You are now guaranteed never to set foot outside the prison for the remainder of your life."

"Not to mention the charge of impersonating an officer."

"Whoa, hold on! I didn't kill anybody and I certainly wasn`t impersonating a cop! Too many people round here know me. That would be way more than just stupid!" Tamo yelled, spittle flying.

"We have a witness that places you on scene, stating to your little hit squad that you were a cop!" Steve`s voice rose dangerously as he pointed a finger at Tamo`s face. He hated getting the run around, especially from people they brought in.

"We were talking about grabbing a cop, not that I _was_ one. They must have heard wrong, man."

"That's 'Sir' to you, Tamo."

The man went on, completely ignoring Steve. "Anyway, I steal shit, sell drugs, contract myself out here or there, but I ain't no killer! Check my sheet! You won't find a single murder!"

Steve moved faster than anyone saw, slamming his hands down on the chair's arms and leaning in close to Tamo. The man jumped, trying to lean away from the Commander as Steve got right up in his face. "I don't give two shits about you or your priors." He hissed, ratcheting up the intimidation factor. "Why did Wo Fat order you to kill those men? How did he benefit from their deaths?"

"He didn`t order jack! And I haven`t kill anyone, I swear to God!" Brett tried to look anywhere but McGarrett. "Those guys might have been Yakuza, but I had no beef with `em, no reason to kill them. I`m being set up!"

"And why would anyone do that?" Chin replied sarcastically.

Brett gave him a look that screamed `are you retarded?` "Isn`t it obvious? The dude planted my print so he could get away scot free! It`s how he operates: use people then hang `em out to dry!"

"I don't care if Wo Fat planted that print or not cause right now that son of a bitch has my partner, who is no doubt injured, thanks to you and you`re little accident with the SUV."

"It doesn't matter if you're convicted of murder or not, you're going in for kidnapping a police officer." Chin added, still as calm as ever. "You have no options left so all you can do is answer the Commander's questions and tell us everything."

"Oh, shit." Brett gave Steve a terrified look and Steve leaned in impossibly closer. "You're McGarrett?"

"You catch on fast, don't you?" Steve sneered. "Now keep talking."

"Yeah, you got it." Steve moved away as he heard Chin snort a quick laugh. "I got a call this morning from the guy saying he wanted the hit to be today. He had a truck ready and some guys to help me out…all we had to do was watch for the car. We spotted and tailed it to a quiet intersection, made the grab, then drove off."

"To where?"

Tamo slumped in his chair, looking utterly defeated. His eyes still held terror for his family, but no defiance was present. "The corner of Twin Bridge and Paalaa Uka Pupukea Road."

Steve's eyebrows shot up. "North Shore?"

"Pretty desolate out there." Chin muttered. "Not to mention access to practically anywhere on the island. Are you sure of the roads?"

Tamo nodded. "Followed the GPS he put into my phone; check it if you want. Over by the reservoir there, but I doubt he's there anymore. He`d be stupid to stick around; he`s long gone by now."

The last part of Tamo's sentence was yelled at McGarrett's back as he rushed from the room, Chin on his heels. Kono and Lori met them in the hallway as they headed to the parking lots; he wanted no more time wasted. Steve's heart felt like it was trying to beat it's way from his chest as he tried to think too hard about what Brett's revelation could mean. North Shore was less populated than the south end of the island and had direct access to the Kaipapau Forest Reserve as well as Dillingham Airfield and miles of coastline. What Steve had to do was figure out what the man would do; hide in the forest, sail away or fly anywhere he wanted? He could take fight anywhere he pleased – onto familiar turf like China, Japan or back to Korea – and with Danny, he knew Steve would follow.

Thus he had to limit his options and reduce the overall grid.

Grabbing his phone, he dialed the oh-so familiar number and punched send as they walked into the warm Hawaiian evening.

"_Howdy sailor._"

"Cat, I need your help."

* * *

To be continued...


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you all again for the lovely reviews that keep pouring in day after day! I love to please and you`re continuing positive remarks always makes my day! I keep each and every review I`ve ever received in a special folder so I can go back and re-read them time and time again. Makes it all so worth it!

* * *

Danny hacked and coughed, barely noticing as the actions wracked his body. Hell, he was barely aware of where he was anymore, the frigid temperatures having numbed his thoughts as well as his skin. The chill had helped lessen the pain to his arm and shoulder, the cut on his head and his swollen eye as he leaned weakly against the frigid metal walls, but he had no intentions of being happy about it. His only thoughts were on his daughter and whether he would ever see her again. Her birthday was in a few months; his baby was going to be turning nine. Nine! Where the hell had the time gone? Soon she'd be grown up, moving away to start her own family and it killed him to think that some psycho with a grudge against his partner was going to take away what precious time he had left with her. He hated thinking some shithole freezer would be his tomb but the longer he stayed here with no apparent rescue in sight and getting weaker by the minute, the thought kept surfacing.

The mind had his emotional state in a jumbled mess, causing the blonde to sniff which in turn triggered another coughing fit. He knew he shouldn't give up, he should stay strong and fight goddamn it! It wasn't like him to just lie down and do nothing without bitching someone's ear off about it, or break someone's nose, but he had no energy. He also knew he should be scared that he was no longer shivering, but he just couldn't seem to give a damn about it. It was just so hard when he was so tired…so cold. At least the dust had cleared, cleared out through the same vents spewing below freezing winds, but it did little to alleviate his increasingly worsening ailments. He had never been more wanting of the hot Hawaiian sun than just then, as well as to see his little girl. Right about now he`d take Grace in a bikini on the beach, sand in his shoes, and as far as personal boundaries went that was saying a lot.

Huddled in the corner of his ice box prison, he softly struck the back of his head against the wall again and again. Boredom had been a huge issue the last few hours, but as the thermostat fell, so did his initiative. Sure he had talked to himself for a while, cussing out Wo Fat in the hope that the man could hear every word, had paced to keep warm and then sat to watch the changing color of the sky through the tiny window to the outside world. It was now black outside and the freezer was darker than pitch. Fighting to stave off his exhaustion – knowing he'd probably never open his eyes again if he did – he wondered if this whole thing would scar him mentally. Thoughts of never going near a fridge ever again had him smiling, the idea oddly amusing. He'd have Steve make him lunch for the rest of his life if he didn't get his ass there soon.

Just as Danny began losing his battle with sleep, the sound of the lock being removed had him glancing towards the door on the other side of the room. The light that suddenly streamed inside had him cursing and shielding his face.

"Get him up." It wasn't Wo Fat's voice. Maybe that was a good thing? About to ask, the question became a cry of pain as two pairs of hands grabbed him roughly, clamping around the break without a care. Still blinking spots away from his vision, he felt rather than saw himself being dragged out of the freezer into a much warmer hallway. As soon as his body hit the stifling hallway he began to shake violently once more. The goon's grips were like iron and he fought not to whimper like some damn dog as every movement had his injuries flaring red hot. Sight clearing ever so slightly, he tried to memorize every detail he could about the place they had him in, regardless of only having one good eye left to see through.

Obviously a warehouse, as he figured before, the hall they were in was short, eventually opening up through a pair of double doors into a huge storage area. The place reminded him of an airplane hanger he'd been in sheer size, the walls made of unpainted steel with row upon row of iron shelves for boxes, crates and other such items. Though the ceiling was littered with high powered lamps, only enough were lit to light the way towards the centre of the room. There behind a long collapsible table, like some psychotic businessman, sat Wo Fat, his hands folded before him like Danny was coming in for a job interview. Two more burly me stood behind him, armed with assault rifles. Danny was starting to wonder just how many guys the man had at his disposal, and how dangerous they thought he was if they were armed so heavily.

Wo Fat gestured to a metal chair sitting in front of him, as if Danny had a choice of where he was going, and the detective was roughly shoved into it by the arms dealer's lackeys. Glaring at his captor he tried not to wince as Goon One and Goon Two grabbed his forearms and cuffed his wrists to the metal armrests. He smirked as his shaking made the task that much harder for the two morons.

"You find this amusing?"

"Ver…very much s-so." he stopped as he began coughing again, wincing as the muscles pulled at his hurting ribs and stomach as well as how his voice sounded. It sounded like he'd gargled gravel.

"How so?"

"I'm just th-thinking of all the inventive w-way's I'm going to kill each a-and every one of you. If not me, th-then at least McGarrett." He stuttered, teeth chattering so badly his jaw had begun to ache. It wasn`t like everything else hurt anyway, so he did his best to ignore the dull throb. Pausing to clear his throat, he grimaced as he coughed up…something. Turning, he saw a great opportunity and spat it on Goon One's shoe.

"The fuck?" the man snarled and Danny recognized him as one of the gun wielding from earlier. Sans gun, unlike his two counterparts behind the table, the man used what he had and smashed a fist into Danny's already swollen and tender face.

Wo Fat stopped the man from another attack with a raised hand, sparing a disapproving glance at Danny. "I'm starting to think we need a mask for you. Next time I won`t stop him quite so soon."

"G-go fuck yourself."

Sighing the man stood and walked around the table towards Danny. The detective tried to retain an air of stubborn pride but couldn`t hold back a noticeable flinch as Wo Fat put the back of his hand against his forehead.

"Well, it seems our attempts to cool you down were a failure. I had hoped your temper would have abated somewhat at the very least."

"What you s-see is what you get, asshole." Danny barked as Wo Fat sat back down across from him. "And l-let me tell you, you`re not going to be g-getting much except a death certificate and a fancy t-toe tag."

"In your current condition the only thing you`re giving me is a headache. Remember, cooperation will keep you and your little girl alive longer." The man smirked, setting Danny on edge.

"I can't t-tell you what I don't know, you d-delusional prick! I know about as much as you do, and as f-far as I can tell, McGarrett isn't any c-closer to this Shelburne thing either!" he wheezed around another fit, biting his tongue as his teeth continued chattering against his will. "Did it ever oc-cur to you that maybe the guy didn't tell you j-jack shit in Korea because, oh I d-don't know, he _didn't know anything?_ With y-you're apparent thought processes I'm surp-prised you made it to adulthood without g-getting killed!"

His little outburst left him tired, hunched over as he gasped for breath that seemed determined to elude him. Wo Fat just watched him for a long moment, not saying a word as his dark eyes skimmed over the detective.

"Like what you s-see?" Danny growled, panting. "I don't s-swing that way, sorry."

Another punch from Goon One snapped his head to the side, cracking his lip back open. His vision swayed and the world tilted as a dizzy spell took over him just as Goon Two threw a punch of his own. The alternating hits lasted for what felt like forever to the detective, raining down on his head, torso and arms. His legs were struck repeatedly as well, slammed with the toe and heels of steel toed boots. Wo Fat continued to look on with almost an air of boredom, only stopping the beating when Danny was on the verge of blacking out. Another raised hand had the men backing down like obedient animals.

Battling to keep conscious, Danny coughed violently as he took stock of his injuries. Broken nose? Check. Loose teeth? Probably. Broken ribs? Double check. _Damnit, _he thought to himself. _Always with the face. I could probably scare small children and adults alike._ He could no longer feel his left arm, which he didn`t want to think about, and his stomach throbbed. He`d be lucky if he didn`t have internal bleeding.

"I don`t like repeating myself, Detective." Danny hadn`t been aware Wo Fat had been talking. "Are you about ready to tell me what you know?"

He gaped at the Chinese man. "I th-think you have a serious auditory p-perception problem, cause you're obviously not g-getting what I'm throwing down here. That, or you`re m-mentally disabled." Score one for higher-than-average vernaculars, despite the obvious stuttering flaws.

Standing once again, his captor straightened the sleeves of his dress coat before giving a shake of his head. About to speak he was interrupted as someone Danny had yet to see walked up to the table as if the devil were on his heels. He looked nervous as he leaned in to Wo Fat and mumbled something, trying to be covert, but the detective plainly caught the word `Silverado`. Despite himself, Danny grinned wide as hope flooded his chest.

"Aw, is m-my partner showing up ah-head of schedule? I wasn`t lying when I s-said he was smarter than you."

Wo Fat didn`t spare him a glance as he barked something in Mandarin at the idiot twins and the detective found himself being hastily uncuffed and dragged towards a side door. He fought with all he had, which at that point wasn`t a hell of a lot, but it didn`t help his cause. Wherever they were taking him couldn`t be good but there wasn`t a goddamn thing he could do about it. He had never been partial to self-hatred but he cursed his weakness, his illness, his inability to even get himself home in one piece. Maybe he was the one who needed a babysitter, not McGarrett. It was a miracle they hadn`t crashed and burned together yet.

The door hatch was rusty with disuse and Danny cringed at the squeal of metal before fresh, warm air hit his face. Again, he tried to distinguish his surroundings for future reference, but his body took that moment to betray him with a harsh coughing fit that left his eyes watering and his ribs burning. All he managed to catch with his one usable eye was the vast jungle surrounding the buildings, cast in an eerie orange light from a set of motion sensor lamps on the side of the building, before he was being tossed none-too-gently into the back of a delivery van.

Danny groaned as he struck the steel floor, his head bouncing off the metal as every inch of him burned like it was on fire. Feeling the back of the van dip under a new weight, he glared as Goon One hunched over him and roughly shoved him onto his stomach.

"You just made s-second place on my shit list, asshole." He muttered as the man threw a pair of handcuffs around his wrists, making them unnecessarily tight. Danny still couldn`t feel his arm, which was starting to scare the crap out of him. That and the fact that he had yet to stop shaking. As the guy turned to leave, Danny kicked him in the back of the knee. He watched with glee as the idiot stumbled and fell out of the van onto the concrete. He knew he was playing with fire, that Wo Fat would probably have him killed once they reached their destination, but if he was going down he`d go fighting. As the curses of the man reached his ears, he prepared himself for the repercussions but none came. All he received was the back doors slamming closed before the truck began moving.

* * *

The white light of the Silverado`s headlights were almost not enough to cut through the darkness of North Shore as Steve drove. It was all encompassing, wrapping itself around the two vehicles as they followed the winding, narrow dirt road. According to Catherine, who had remained with the team via the truck`s Bluetooth system, their destination was inching closer and Steve was grateful the road was deserted at that time of day.

Hacking a number of overhead satellites, the Navy Lieutenant had successfully managed to download the machine`s feed history and send it to Chin`s tablet. The man`s fingers had flown across the touch screen next to Steve as they went, working alongside a continual stream of new information from Cat`s end, and like an intricate puzzle the pieces had come together the more he looked into it. In no time, they had identified the vehicle Tamo had used in the hit and run and tracked it across the island in fast forward. Their search led to an old storage facility that had been condemned years ago off Twin Bridge Road.

"_I`ve got movement._" Cat`s voice echoed over the Silverado`s speakers. "_Two vehicles moving north and west from the facility towards the Joseph P. Leong Highway. I have a black SUV and an unmarked white van._"

Chin was back on his tablet in an instant as Steve swore. "Shit, he`s running." He should have known Wo Fat would have spotters. "Can you get me a body count?"

There was a moment of silence before Cat replied, "_I`ve got seven heat signatures_."

Chin sudden yell of "Turn left!" had Steve reacting mostly on instinct, tires screeching and tail end fishtailing on the loose gravel. A fast glance at the rearview showed the girls spinning their own wheels to keep up. He gave Chin a questioning look even as the other man explained, "By taking this road, we can cut the distance between us and them by half." He even tilted the screen Steve`s way so the Commander could see Chin`s estimations.

Steve nodded, trusting his teammate. If possible, the road they were on now was even more narrow than the last but he didn`t reduce his speed, even with the threat of losing traction and hitting the ditch. As they came over a steep rise, far off in the distance he spotted a pair of soft red taillights, the only light within miles. They were so close but so far away. Not for the first time during his time with Five-0, he wished he had a rocket launcher. He white knuckled the steering wheel as Wo Fat`s smug smile filled his mind. He was going to make damn sure to end this once and for all as soon as he got his friend away from the man.

Dropping into a valley he lost sight of the fleeing vehicles as Chin continued to feed him directions. Left, left, right, then left again, he felt like a rat in a maze, head spinning as even his internal compass – which had never once failed him - had trouble keeping track of where they were going. In the darkness it seemed like they travelled in a giant circle before the forest began to part and they reached the Joseph P. Leong Highway, the lights of Haleiwa glowing in the distance. It was close to one in the morning but the highway was busy with traffic. A quick glance revealed no SUV`s and one too many white vans, both unmarked and otherwise.

Before Steve could even ask, Catherine stated, "_I still have eyes on our perps; both vehicles just pulled into the harbor on the corner of Haleiwa Road and the Kamehameha Highway."_

"Son of a…" Leaving a strip of black rubber on the roadway, the Commander hit the brakes and drifted the large truck onto the off ramp, nearly missing it completely, and towards the bypass road between the two highways. As Chin clutched the handle above his window, Steve watched in admiration as Kono stayed close on his tail. The girl was a damn fine driver. He`d mention it to her once this shit show was over.

As traffic became more congested upon entering the new highway, he flipped on the trucks lights and sirens. The harbor was close now, only a few roads over, and Steve pushed the pedal closer to the floor. He didn`t know what Wo Fat was planning for him, but he wasn`t going to allow the deranged man to use Danny as a hostage to get what he wanted. There was no way in hell McGarrett would allow him to leave the island with his friend, not while he was still breathing.

* * *

The van came to a sudden and abrupt halt after what Danny considered to be the longest trip in history. Barely conscious as pain and exhaustion threatened to overtake his senses, the quick stop rolled the detective onto his back in one agonizing motion. He felt like throwing up, could taste the bile in the back of his throat, but swallowed it down. He`d missed his first opportunity to soil Wo Fat`s expensive leather loafers; he wouldn`t miss it the second time round.

He was also finding it increasingly harder and harder to breathe, the obvious chest cold and busted ribs compounding upon each other to make it both painful and arduous. He figured his time spent in the freezer had probably transformed his annoying, simple cold into full blown pneumonia. The resulting lightheadedness had him feeling wispy and disconnected, almost like he was floating through reality instead of actually living it. It was quite pleasant all things considered and allowed him a momentary lapse from his current predicament before the gun toting duo gripped his ankles and hauled him bodily from the vehicle. He didn`t have enough air to even protest the treatment as they dragged him away to…wherever here was. He could smell salt and hear the annoying cry of gulls, so he chalked it up to the beach or a port of sorts. He was really starting to hate ports…so much violence…

Numb, he had no energy to place one foot in front of the other and instead opted to make his captors life more difficult as they towed him about. The two were forced to take his entire weight as he slumped in their grip, in spite of the pull on his arms and the throbbing fire engulfing his whole being. Broken and dislocated arm or not, he`d make their lives hell for as long as viably possible until Steve could get to him and whisk his sorry, broken ass to a hospital. He thought he could hear a distant siren, but it could have easily been the gulls or the ringing in his ears.

"Here!" An order was barked, but again, it might have been the ringing. He wasn`t sure of anything anymore, really, except the facts that he hated Wo Fat, hated Hawaii in general, and that Steve owed him a lifetime supply of Long Boards for this one. A smidgeon of sense returned to him as he heard a metal door slam before he was dropped unceremoniously onto a new concrete floor, landing on his back to stare at a new corrugated metal ceiling, the metal cuffs biting into his chaffed wrists. He frowned as a salty breeze ruffled his now ruined dress shirt and lazily mussed his hair. If he was inside a building, why was there a breeze?

Wo Fat`s face suddenly loomed above his and Danny felt like he was in a bad recurring dream. "Go away…" he wheezed, coughing weakly. At least the shaking had stopped again. "You`re ruining…the view."

The man looked almost amused as he knelt next to him, a thin chain in one hand. Even in his fuzzy state of mind, his brain told him it was a double looped lion chain, used mainly for swings and animal restraints. _Yup, definitely a recurring dream,_ Danny mused, _but the chain is new…_

"I must give the man credit where credit is due." Wo Fat fingered the chain in his hand. "I honestly didn`t think McGarrett was intelligent enough to find me until dawn. By then we would have been long gone. This changes the game a bit."

"The man…was Navy…Intelligence." Danny coughed, breath coming in short erratic bursts. "Correct me…if I`m wrong…but wouldn`t he need…to be _intelligent_…for that job?"

"Just four more hours, we all would have been heading to China, then I would have had him where I wanted him."

"On your turf, you mean." He fought to clear his mind. "One problem…he`d still be here."

"No, he`d be trapped in a corner with no direction to go but to me." The chain links clinking together almost sounded musical to the injured detective, but he didn`t much care for what it may be used for. "He would never abandon one of his own. You came for him, he`d come for you."

Sudden shouts outside had the arms dealers head turning to Danny`s left. The cries were answered with a volley of gunshots. Now _that_ was music to Danny`s ears. "Sounds like…you`re the one…in the corner."

"Not for long." Wo Fat began reeling the chain into loops in his hand and Danny couldn`t help but follow the links with his eyes. The sight nearly made his heart stop.

"Ah, damn."

"One way or another I`ll get what I want, then McGarrett will have to make a choice." Danny didn`t like the man`s tone. "He can either give me what I want and let me go," more links chimed, "or he`ll choose to let you die."

* * *

Steve had barely careened his large truck through the gates of Haleiwa Harbor when the sharp retort of gunfire began. One headlight went dark as it was shot out, another bullet ricocheting off the hood in a shower of sparks as he slammed on the brakes and reached instinctively for his sidearm. Throwing the truck into park – last thing they needed was for their only cover rolling away – Steve threw his door open, sighting down his weapon for their current threat.

Not able to spot the shooters, Steve and Chin took defensive stances by their open doors as Kono came to a stop just ahead of the truck, offering additional cover as the girls bailed with their guns at the ready. In the darkness of the early morning, spotting the perpetrators was near impossible. There were only a few lights about the lot, but none gave them the illumination they needed so Steve watched for muzzle flashes. It quickly became apparent that that too was not going to yield results. He bit back a curse as the driver's side window shattered in his face.

_They`re using suppressors..._ Steve mused as he shook safety glass from his arms. "Cat, you still with us?" he yelled into his still running truck.

"_I`m on it, just a second!"_ Her voice was music to his ears as more shots headed their way. Sparks flew off Kono`s Cruze and the girls crouched lower behind the bulk of the vehicle.

"Put a rush on it!" Lori yelled, taking a pot shot into the darkness.

"_Ok," _Catherine came back over the line moments later, "_Chin, on your one o`clock, thirty degrees off the horizon on a staircase."_

Chin did as instructed, lining up his shot appropriately and fired. The group was greeted by a cry of pain and a harsh thud of a body meeting the asphalt. Kono grinned over at Steve as he scanned the area for runners.

"Boss, your girlfriend is awesome!"

"_Thanks Kono."_ Cat chimed. "_On your ten, ground level!"_

Kono reached over the car`s hood, taking aim and pulled the trigger. Another body fell, crying out in pain before going silent and Kono ducked back down next to Lori.

"_Steve I have three more bodies in the vicinity, all heading away from your location due West North West. Looks like they`re heading into a warehouse."_

"Where are the other two?"

"_In said warehouse. It`s down off pier three, four buildings down to your left. I`ll also have to sign off in a moment; I`m going to lose sat feed to your location soon."_

"Ten-four. Thanks for all your help tonight Cat."

"_That`s another dinner you owe me. Call me after the other shoe drops."_

"You got it!" Gesturing with his left hand, he and his team jogged from the safety of the cars and made their way down the docks ever so carefully, weapons raised and ready.

Steve took point, leading the way through the maze of shipping crates, cranes, bobcats and other machinery as he counted down the piers. The whole area was eerily silent with only the calm lapping of the ocean against the concrete shore. There wasn`t even the familiar cry of gulls as they quickly passed pier number two. Ahead, with a pathetic flickering lamp hanging precariously from a few surviving wires, sat a lone warehouse. The building in question was more of a large shed than anything else with rusting corrugated metal siding and a semicircular plastic roof that housed more than its fair share of bird crap. The rear end of the building lay flush to the edge of the pier and the only entrances Steve could see was a small metal door just below the dilapidated light fixture and a roll door for deliveries. Steve suspected there lay another door on the opposing end of the building but without investigating, he couldn`t be sure. There were no signs of the other three gunmen, his partner or Wo Fat and with a raised fist he and his team came to a halt behind a row of red containers. Ahead of them, nothing moved in the darkness.

"Alright," the Commander took a knee and the others followed suit. "We know we have at least three other gunman in there with Wo Fat and Danny. When we go in, we go in carefully. Lighting may be an issue, and god only knows what kind of cover we`ll have. There are one too many variables for us to go in guns blazing, especially with Danny in there."

"Even though we want to." Kono`s voice was hard, getting nods from Chin and Lori.

Steve nodded as well. "I get that you`re all pissed; I am too, but that`s no reason to fly off the handle. We do this right and everyone comes out alive."

Lori snickered, catching the group's attention. "This coming from the guy who, as Danny would put it, shoots first and asks questions never."

"You got that right." Steve smiled, appreciating her attempt at levity in the situation. The fact remained, though, that he was scared and man enough to admit it to himself. Wo Fat played dirty, using the tools at his disposal in order to break his enemies and not get his own hands sullied. Jenna Kaye was proof enough of that, using blackmail and extortion to play on the woman`s weaknesses involving her fiancé. There was a good chance that the warehouse was rigged with traps, or that Danny was already dead. Steve had known as soon as he saw the witnesses sketch that this whole situation was about Shelburne and Steve`s involvement. With no knowledge of Shelburne, Danny was a liability and only good to the arms dealer as a hostage. He would go down shooting, and the Commander hoped like hell his friends didn`t get hurt.

"So what`s the plan boss?" Chin asked, breaking Steve from his thoughts.

"Chin, Kono, I want you both to secure the premises and make sure no one get in behind us. Once your done, and when I give the word, you`ll both breach from the far side of the warehouse. Watch for wires, loose pieces of metal or items in and around the place that doesn`t belong. With Wo Fat there`s the possibility of trip wires and explosives. Lori, you`re with me. We`re going in this side and clearing out any unwanted variables and extra men Wo Fat has that we don`t know about while you two breach the other side. We`ll get them in a pincer and they`ll have nowhere to run." He paused, looking at each member in turn. "Once again, be careful. We all know how dangerous this guy is. We play our cards right, everyone goes home and Wo Fat`s days of walking around as a free man are over."

"Sir, yes Sir."

"Yes, Sir!"

"You got it!"

Three different answers, three different personalities, three very different people from all walks of life, but all spoken as one. Checking magazines and chambering rounds, the cousins each gave Steve a mock salute before heading off around the far side of the warehouse, staying low and moving swiftly. Raising his own weapon he watched the shadows with baited breath, looking for any movement within the darkness that didn`t belong. All was quiet and still, and it wasn`t long before he got a confirmation from Kono that all was clear.

"_No signs of foul play either. Doors and windows are all clean."_

Shooting Lori a look, he asked, "You ready for this?"

"Hell yeah."

Nodding, Steve stepped from the safety of the containers and crept towards the rusted door, Lori right on his heels. Taking position on either side of the doorway, they waited as Chin and Kono readied themselves at their own door.

"_We`re in position, boss."_ Chin`s voice echoed over the earpiece.

"Good. Go on my mark." Steve held up three fingers and Lori gripped her weapon harder. "Three…two…one…go, go, go!"

One solid kick to the deadbolt and all hell broke loose. "Five-0! Drop your weapons!" The interior of the building was lit by dim interior bulbs, the muzzle flashes of Five-0`s weapons lighting it up further as bullets flew from both parties. The men under Wo Fat, startled by Five-0`s hasty entrance though reacting quickly, dodged and weaved through a maze of crates, boxes, cinder blocks and barrels inside the warehouse towards Steve and Lori as Chin and Kono rushed the gang from the right. No doubt believing shooting their way to freedom was the most apt decision, the three men shot indiscriminately in Steve`s direction as he and Lori cut off their escape route from the cousins deadly aim. One create exploded with a powerful strike of Chin`s shotgun, splaying wood chips and straw stuffing across the floor as he took a shot at one of the darkly dressed goons. The gunman tried in vain to find new cover, but Lori picked him off with a shot center mass. More wood flew as the return fire chipped wood fragments off the thick planking covering the floor, the enemy too frazzled to correct their aim. Next to him, Steve heard Lori give a pained hiss and take a knee.

"Weston?" He yelled, firing off a few rounds at a heavily built thug behind a moldy barrel.

"I`m good, just a graze." Regaining her feet, he spotted the deep gouge just below her left sleeve. It looked painful as hell and was bleeding pretty good, but now wasn`t the time for basic treatment.

With no options left, the remaining men retreated back towards the rear of the building, firing blindly in a panic as the officers continued their own barrage of bullets. As the two disappeared into the labyrinth, Steve gave the order to follow. Ever so carefully, the four of them met in the centre of the room with Steve in front, Lori covering the rear while the cousins each took a side. As the troupe neared the back of the warehouse, Steve frowned as he caught a whiff of fresh salt air.

"Five-0!" Steve bellowed at the retreating men. "You`re surrounded! Drop your weapons and come out with your hands up!"

"That won`t be necessary Commander."

Steve tried his best not to just fly around the stack of crates before him, the only things now separating him from the owner of that god forsaken voice, and putting a bullet between his eyes. As slowly as possible, his team following right behind him, He walked around the crates and into the back end of the building. The two gunmen from before stood, legs apart and guns raised in front of the man he hated most in the world. Behind him lay the ocean, the rear end of the warehouse open to the water. The Asian gun runner smirked at Steve, full of brash confidence as he held his own weapon, it`s barrel trained on his partner; Wo Fat`s human shield.

Then there was Danny. Steve felt a high of adrenaline spiking his system seeing his partner alive, but what he saw also made his blood boil with rage. The man`s skin was far too pale, the rare flesh that wasn`t currently covered in blood or black with swollen bruises, and even from ten meters away he could hear his partners labored breathing. Hands restrained behind his back, Steve winced in sympathy as he spotted his left shoulder hanging at an unnatural angle, no doubt dislocated. Cheeks red with fever and eyes bloodshot, his eyes met Danny`s good right one briefly and the Commander hated what he saw. Danny`s usually bright eyes were dulled in pain and weariness, hatred, guilt and fear. Steve honestly had no idea how his friend was still able to stand.

A jangle of metal had him looking back at the smug face visible over Danny`s left shoulder. That`s when he spotted the thin chain firmly gripped within Wo Fat`s free hand. One end led to his partner, looped around his throat and pulled tight. The gold glint of a padlock was visible just beneath Danny`s hair at the base of his skull. It all made his trigger finger itchy.

"Let him go Wo Fat." He was amazed at how calm his voice came out despite his warring emotions. "This is the end of the line."

"You were always oh-so confident, Commander." The man smoothly spoke, pulling the hammer back on a silver revolver the gun runner held expertly. "Perhaps too confident."

"You`re surrounded and out gunned. Release him now and maybe, if I`m feeling courteous, you`ll live to see the inside of Halawa."

"How generous." The man sneered, giving the chain in his hands a harsh tug. Danny gave a hiss of pain, stumbling back a few steps and Steve instinctively followed. The two gunman trained their weapons on him as he walked forward, causing the rest of Five-0 to take aim on the hired muscle. No one fired in the tense atmosphere, too close together to risk collateral damage.

Steve huffed an enraged breath, trying to get a clear shot around one beefy threat and past his partner but failing miserably. "I`ll only tell you once more, let him go!"

"Not until you tell me who and where Shelburne is." Steve had expected that demand.

"That`s what all this has been about, right? You came here on the Bō Nŭwáng, you killed those men on the docks and set up Brett Tamo just to keep our wheels spinning while you planned all this out."

"How did you even get out of North Korea?" Chin voiced, curious and livid. He took a step sideways, the gunman closest to him following the motion with his gun barrel.

"I still have many powerful friends within China that offer their services to me."

"And the dog blood?" Kono asked now, also sliding sideways with her cousin.

"I believe Commander McGarrett put it eloquently as `spinning your wheels`. Strays are abundant in Hong Kong." The man now eyed the cousins curiously.

Catching on, Lori stepped away from Steve`s side, gun trained on the second thug. "If this was all about Shelburne, why take Danny?"

Steve planted his feet more solidly as the gunman stepped sideways with Lori, offering a better, but not ideal, line of sight on Wo Fat. Danny was looking worse by the minute and on the verge of passing out; he had to get his partner to a hospital and fast.

A gunshot ripped through the air and the group flinched, stopping everyone in their tracks. The smell of burning gunpowder was overwhelming to the senses and Steve`s eyes sought out his partner. No new injuries that he could see and his other teammates were all still standing. Catching sight of Chin, he followed the native mans eyes as Chin stared down at the hole near his foot. Smoke still poured from the barrel of Wo Fat`s gun as he stared down the native officer.

"Good help is hard to find these days." Wo Fat spoke simply, the line directed more to the two gun wielding idiots for not noticing the officers ploy that at Five-0 themselves. "I`ll be sure to give them more simple instructions next time."

"There isn`t going to be a next time, Wo Fat. And you won`t be getting the answers you want." The Commander glared holes through the man's skull. "I don`t know anything about Shelburne; I had thought I`d made that clear in North Korea. It's a name, nothing more; I can`t even say for fact whether it's a person or place. There`s nothing to tell you."

"Told…you."

Steve`s eyes flashed to his partner, Danny`s voice barely above a whisper. He couldn`t stop the grimace; his voice sounded like he`d swallowed iron shavings. "How you doing partner?"

"The hell…you think…I`m doing?" Danny growled, but despite the pain in his voice, Steve grinned. A ranting Danny was a good thing.

"Maybe you need more incentive to answer my questions." Wo Fat growled, taking a step to his right. Revealed with the motion was a stack of several cinder blocks, all looped together with a chain. Steve`s stomach dropped as he watched the same chain loop about the floor then trail to Wo Fat`s hand, to Danny`s neck.

"Last chance," the man sneered. "Where. Is. Shelburne?"

"I don`t-"

"Wrong answer, Commander." The man's smile was beyond sinister, full of promises of future torment.

It was like the world slowed down, sound became a thing of the past as Wo Fat raised a foot and gave the pile of blocks a solid kick, knocking them backwards off the dock.

"_No!_" Steve screamed, bolting forward as the blocks hit the water, the links humming as it slid along the wooden floorboards. He never reached the two men before the chain pulled taut, ripping Danny off his feet with a choked gasp and both he and Wo Fat fell backwards into the rolling black ocean. "_Danny!"_

Slamming his glock into its holster and ripping his Kevlar vest from his body, he reached the water`s edge in five quick strides and jumped.

* * *

To be continued…

Just a side note, I have no clue as to the specs of a military satellite, and thus have no clue if judging the elevation of moving targets is even probable. Hollywood has led me to believe that they are incredible pieces of technology – which, in reality, they are anyway – with many amazing uses. If you know differently, please let me know! I am quite curious!

I`ve also recently come to notice that if left to my own devices when I am either tired or grumpy - sometimes both - behind the wheel of my car, I tend to go on very Danny-esque rants, sans the hand waving. It was pointed out to me the other day by my sister, whose also a fan of the show. This is both interesting yet sad, being that a) it`s nice to be able to relate to a show you`re so fond of (the rants are actually quite zen in their release of inner tension) and b)upsetting in the knowledge that my life is slowly becoming a primetime television drama.

*sigh*


	6. Chapter 6

Well folks, here it is. The last chapter in this little adventure! My bad for the little cliffie I left you all with last time, but when it comes to my stories, I can be a little evil! This chapter is by far the longest; think of it as a gift for putting up with my malicious ways ha ha! Enjoy!

* * *

The Commanders sudden action had the remaining gunmen snapping to attention, taking quick aim on Steve but they never got the chance to pull the trigger. Two quick shots from Lori and Chin had the two men falling to the ground to land in a puddle of blood and brain matter as Kono followed on her boss` heels towards the edge of the warehouse. Adrenaline pumping and her gut twisting in fear, weapon still clenched in her hand, Kono took in huge gulps of air before she and her boss hit the sea water as one.

The first slap of water against her face nearly had Kono gasping in shock. Here on the North Shore, the water offered some of the best surfing in the world; a mixture of northern trade winds and currents flowing south from Japan made the water violent and cold. The shock of the sudden chill had her pausing only briefly before she began fighting the waters pull towards the pier`s stone walls.

Knowing that Steve would head for Danny, Kono glanced around for their fugitive. The darkness offered only shadows from the lights above along the pier and nothing more. Diving down further, her eyes caught a quick glimpse of motion. Moving closer, she was disappointed when a lone fish, startled by her presence, took off to the refuge of deeper waters. Pushing from the pier with her feet, she shot off into the gloom with an angry burst of energy in search of the man who had harmed her ohana, if he could truly be called a man.

* * *

During his long years within the Navy, Steve had encountered many situations within rough waters all across the world. When he had become a SEAL, said situations and missions nearly doubled with their complexity, but he`d faced each challenge with courage and a professionalism that was to be expected from a man of his rank. Right now though, as he hit the water and shot down towards where his partner had disappeared, courage and professionalism seemed to have gone out the window.

Trying to keep his rising panic at bay, knowing it would help no one, he used powerful forward strokes to jet through the black din. Eyes open, burning with the salt of the Pacific, he desperately tried to get a glimpse of his friend, knowing his time was running low. The water here was deeper than he had imagined and his own lungs were beginning to burn with the exertion of his desperate movement.

Finally after what felt like an eternity, Steve finally caught sight of a shock of blonde hair. Moving as fast and deftly as possible, McGarrett found himself in a roller coaster of emotions. Hair billowing around him like a halo, having been washed clean of the gore that had clung to his body prior, Danny looked deceased. Eyes closed, lips parted and head tilted back as the impeding chain held him down at the bottom of the ocean, Steve`s initial thought was that the metal links had broken his neck. Even in the dark he saw the chain had left deep, bleeding grooves around Danny`s pale throat which swirled away in a crimson wave. Reaching forward, he searched for a pulse as he began pulling at the lock that held his partner prisoner, grateful when he felt a thready beat beneath his fingers but it was getting weaker by the second. He hated having to move Danny, knowing he could cause irreversible damage if there was a break, but that was the least of his worries at the moment.

Doubling his efforts, lungs screaming at him to return to the surface, he gripped the gold lock in his hands, twisting it in a vain attempt at cracking the metal. The force of dragging his partner beneath the water had twisted the small bolt but hadn`t been enough to completely destroy the thing. After only a few seconds, Steve gave up on the idea and reached for his sidearm. He barely had the weapon drawn when his partner's body gave a violent jerk and Danny's eye flew open in a panic. Steve shook his head franticly even as his friend's mouth gaped in an attempt to breathe, inhaling ocean water and forcing his last reserves of air from his lungs.

_Shit, shit, shit!_ Steve tried to train his weapon on the now shaking lock as Danny began to twist and heave; whether in an attempt to escape or in the throes of a seizure, Steve didn't know. It was a risky move to begin with, firing his gun, as even underwater the bullet could ricochet and kill his best friend but there was no time and no other options. Gripping the lock and chain at tightly as he could without injuring Danny further, he took the shot just as Danny stilled.

_Oh, God…_Steve's heart leapt to his throat as the lock disintegrated in his hands. Trembling fingers, near useless appendages with fear and oxygen deprivation, fought to remove the chain as fast as possible before Steve wrapped an arm around Danny's still chest and kicked his way towards the dim orange glow of the surface, the warehouse lights his only guide. _Oh God, I can't be too late, com`mon!_

Strength waning and darkness beginning to creep into his peripherals, Steve fought with all he had to claw his way closer to safety and fresh air. Danny was a dead weight, making his task a challenging one, but Steve fought on. _Maybe we'll die down here together,_ he mused as the surface seemed further and further away, despite his efforts, _this is all my fault…seems appropriate…_

One last kick, one more stroke, and Steve's head broke through the surface in a cascade of white water. Heaving a massive lungful of crisp, clean oxygen, he had no strength left for anything else but to gasp and sputter, his vision gray and still darkening. Grasping blindly for the piers edge, listing as Danny's weight became more apparent with gravity now playing a role, two sets of hands found his and he and Danny were suddenly being pulled up and out of the dark waves. Lori and Chin's worried expressions filtered into view as Steve continued to drag in air, their voices trickling across his water-plugged ears.

"All vertebrate are intact…"

"I can't find a pulse…"

"Where's the nearest hospital?"

"Wahiawa."

"Call an ambulance-"

"No." Steve coughed, managing to get his breathing under his control though his limbs still held a weakness he didn't approve of. Getting his feet under him he rose, albeit slowly, he found Chin hard at work applying CPR to his still pale partner, the task difficult with Danny's hands still restrained in handcuffs.

"What do you mean no?" Lori shot him a concerned look, phone in hand.

"There's no time, they`d never get here before..." Steve muttered, needing to do something, anything to help. Tapping Chin's shoulder, he took over the chest compressions as Chin moved to apply rescue breaths. "Come on, buddy, come on…"

Danny lay unresponsive beneath his hands, despite the Navy Commanders efforts and litany of "come on, come on, come on…" Steve tried frantically to reign in his fear as several moments passed with no improvement, no response. Danny's lips were an ever darkening shade of blue and Steve was quickly losing control of himself.

* * *

Kono had surfaced with a gasp of air and a shake of her head. Treading water, she glanced about her in the darkness for even a sign of her quarry. She was a good hundred meters away from the warehouse when the others surfaced near the building, her heart stuttering as she caught snippets of the urgent conversation taking place. She shook herself physically; there was nothing she could do for Danny. The others had it under control. Plus she had her objective: find Wo Fat and arrest him. Or put him down for good.

A soft sound off to her left dragged her attention from her team and further down the pier. A thud, like a heavy rope hitting concrete had her swimming faster than she ever had before. There, a flash of white in the darkness as someone passed between a pair of buildings. There was little doubt in her mind who it was and, quickly reaching the pier and hauling herself up the small metal rungs, she gave chase.

There was little sound but the breaking of waves and the rocking of boats. Neither were loud enough to mask the smack of her wet boots against the concrete. Dodging and weaving between warehouses, crates, pallets and the occasional Bobcat, her senses were on high alert for the danger Wo Fat presented. She strained her ears for any indication as to where the bastard had gone as lighting was scarce and the gloom all consuming. It felt like it was reaching out for her, trying to drag her in and cause her to lose hope.

It felt like she ran for hours, eyes darting about and above, but in reality was probably only a minute or two before she caught sight of a pair of bright red lights. Tail lights…tail lights belonging to an in descript black SUV with no license plate. Tail lights that were moving away.

"Son of a bitch!" she growled, pushing her body to move faster, run harder as the vehicle oh so casually drove through the port`s gated rear entranceway. "Not this time, you asshole!"

Grabbing her gun, which thankfully had remained in its holster during her impromptu swim, she took aim at the SUV and fired. One after another, bullets ripped into the back end of the vehicle shattering taillights and perforating the metal chassis. Aiming for the tires, she let fly but missed as the SUV picked up speed and drove off into the night. She kept firing regardless, squeezing the trigger until the clicking of an empty magazine and her heavy pants of exertion brought her back down.

The vehicle was gone…Wo Fat was gone. She had failed. He had gotten away again and she`d been so close…so close. "Fuck!" Her yell was primal, echoing off the corrugated and rusting metal sheds.

With nothing more she could do, her cell phone no doubt ruined by the salty ocean water, she slammed her empty gun back into the holster at her hip and ran back towards her friends just as an anguished cry rose over the docks.

* * *

"Damnit man, don't do this to me…" Steve whispered, pleaded, begged his partner who lay so very still beneath his ministrations. A quick check revealed the blonde still had no apparent heartbeat. "No no no, fuck Danny! Fight like the stubborn bastard I know you are!"

"Steve…" Chin laid a gentle hand on the man's tense shoulders, but Steve just shrugged him off.

"Goddamn it man!" Fisting his hands together, Steve slammed them onto Danny's sternum just above the man`s heart. It had worked once in the field, why shouldn`t it work now? He ignored the retort of gunshots in the distance. "Think of Grace, Danny! Think of your little girl!"

"Steve!" He could hear the tears in Lori's voice as he hit his partner again, his own violent version of a cardiac compression.

"She'll grow up without a dad!"

A strike to his chest.

"She'll grow up without her Danno!"

A strike.

"You won't be there to walk her down the aisle!"

Another hit.

"See her have grandkids…"

Another strike.

"How can I…"

Once more.

"How can I possibly tell her you're never coming home?"

Danny`s body jolted as Steve struck him again. By now he was screaming. "I can`t do this without you man!"

Rearing back for another hit, a small noise came from the man below him before a geyser of water suddenly erupted from his partner's mouth. Gasps of surprise echoed through the warehouse as Steve quickly rolled his friend to the recovery position, hunching over him as he coughed up more and more water whilst straining against his bonds in confusion and fear. Leaning in close to wrap protective arms around his partner, Steve chose to ignore the tears running tracks down his still wet face as he listened to Danny just _breathe. _It had to be the sweetest sound in the whole fucking world.

The restraining hold had the blonde jerking back and forth, fighting to break free with a whimper that shattered his heart. Not daring to relinquish physical contact in case the blonde's body decided to give up and his friend left him for good, McGarrett began muttering encouragements and reassurances until his partner stilled enough that Steve could slip a handcuff key into the tiny metal slots.

"Jesus Christ, Danny…" Steve stuttered as he gently pried the metal cuffs off Danny's torn wrists, a reassuring hand on Danny's back as the man continued to shiver and cough wet, painful hacks. "You trying to give me a heart attack or what…? Shit, man!"

Tossing the bloodied shackles away like a dead diseased animal, he resumed his prior hold on his friend as Danny slowly succumbed to unconsciousness. The fear of nearly losing the man he considered a brother nearly consumed Steve again as the blonde stilled in his arms but his wet and ragged breathing was enough to bring him off the ledge. Two fingers ghosted across Danny`s jugular anyway, the reassuring but weak beat keeping him grounded as the quick tempo of hurried footfalls reached his ears. Looking up Steve spotted Kono rapidly approaching.

"Wo Fat?" Steve asked her, already expecting the negative shake of her head that came next. The man was a snake: always hiding in wait to strike then slinking away when things went south for him. As delicately as he could, Steve removed his grip from his partner and slid his arms from his over shirt, folding the material into a makeshift sling. Easing his partner onto his back just enough to make working easier, he carefully placed his injured arm inside and secured the fold behind his friends neck, being wary of the open wounds.

Finally able to just take a breath himself, he sighed and leaned hard against his knees. His internal litany of '_thank god…' _quickly morphed into anger at the man who had once again slipped from his grasp. "That sick son of a bitch…he almost killed him…" _And it's all my fault…_

"Which is why we need to get out of Dodge and get to a hospital fast. I'll get the truck." Chin exclaimed, already heading towards the back loading doors. Steve hoped he had enough gas to get them to Wahiawa; he was certain he`d left the truck running.

Pushing his thoughts aside, he reached down and carefully tucked an arm beneath Danny's shoulders and the other under his knees. The unconscious detective gave a strangled groan of pain as Steve lifted him into his arms. Attempting to flee the pain, all he accomplished was having Danny`s arm slip from the sling. Steve cursed under his breath.

"Always have to make things difficult for me, eh?" he muttered, humor lining his tone. "Kono," He said, and she was there in a flash. "Readjust his arm for me would you? So it's not hanging by his side."

Nodding at the request, Kono soon had Danny in a quasi-comfortable position and Steve began a quick paced trek out of the warehouse. Weaving towards the exit around decimated crates and the subsequent debris, Steve stumbled a few times in his haste to get Danny to safety but the girls were right there to offer support and extra leverage when needed. Finally making it safely out the warehouse doors, Chin was already standing by with the Silverado ready to go.

With Lori on the phone with HPD in shotgun, demanding a perimeter lockdown and a BOLO for Wo Fat`s bullet riddled SUV and Chin behind the wheel, Kono helped boost Danny into the rear seat with Steve. With scarcely enough time to hop in the back with her friends and close the door, Kono grabbed the handle above the doorframe as Chin floored the gas, leaving behind a lone red Cruze and a silent harbor.

* * *

If anyone were to ask Lieutenant Commander Steven J. McGarrett just two days ago what one term he would use to describe himself, he would say without a doubt that he was a man in complete control of his life. Now, forty minutes after his bleeding and unconscious partner had been wrenched from his grasp and swept through the doors of Wahiawa General Hospital's Emergency department, Steve sat in one of the hard backed plastic chairs in the waiting room with no word as to whether the man who'd become his closest friend and confidant was alive or dead. As far as control was concerned, it went right out the window.

Patience was never one of his strong points and as he sat, elbows on knees and left heel tapping out a staccato rhythm on the pale green tiles, he glanced up at the clock once more. 3:27am; another minute…one more goddamn minute had gone by and still nothing, no declaration of Danny's health from anyone in the entire damn department. He was getting ready to break down those wretched glass sliding doors and finding the answers he needed himself.

The feeling of utter uselessness was also grating on his nerves, making him irritable and tetchy. The others were giving him a wide berth, even the sparse remaining individuals in the waiting with them, which he felt both appreciation for as well as guilt. None of this was their fault; if anything this was his burden to bear. They didn't deserve the sharp looks or barking retorts he'd been giving them the last while. He quickly ran his hands over his face as another minute passed. He'd have to apologize to Chin especially, who`d been on the phone the last while with HPD and the CSU. Hanging up with a quick "Keep me posted", he`d only been offering to grab Steve some coffee when he had bit the man`s head off. Here he was doing Steve`s job for him, making sure they had uniforms up to process the docks this early in the morning.

It was simply frustrating as all hell, the waiting and the unknown. After the Sarin scare nearly a year ago, Steve had promised himself that he would watch out for his team all the more; big load of good that had done.

The red second hand ticked steadily onwards around the clock face, the soft click of passing time reminded Steve of a bomb counting down, and wasn't that just sad. When a simple object reminded one of imminent and mass destruction, it was probably time to hang it all up.

Still 3:27.

Too busy glaring at the obtrusive appliance on the light taupe colored wall, he almost missed Chin's soft voice calling his name.

Looking up at the expectant face, he shook his head. "Sorry, what?"

"I said here you go." The man held out a steaming cup of java. The concoction smelt heavenly. "I figured you'd need it eventually, everything considered."

Sighing, feeling more the jerk, the Commander took the proffered coffee. "Thanks man. And look, I'm sorry-"

"Hey." Chin held up a hand, halting Steve's apology. "You're worried, I get that. No need to apologize, really. I promise you didn't harm my self esteem."

The man's grin and attempt at light humor did little for Steve's mood. Taking a quick sip of the rich dark brew, he gave a nod of satisfaction as the beverage began to warm his chilled hands. "Still no excuse. I'm not the only one worried here, and I was being selfish. I'm sorry."

Glancing past Chin, he took in the girls. Seated together shoulder to shoulder, both were nursing their own cups slowly and silently. Both were off in their own worlds; Kono was worrying her bottom lip with her teeth as Lori stared vacantly at a spot on the floor. "It's been a rough day for all of us."

"We got him back, Steve. He'll be alright; he's a tough guy."

"And as soon as he gets out of this dump, I am going to LoJack his ass. And get everyone GPS chip implants."

Chin barked a laugh and this time Steve did smile. It couldn't help stop him from glancing again at the clock, though. _3:29, goddamn it all_.

"Have you phoned Rachel?"

_Oh, dear god!_ Steve covered his face with both hands, hating himself even more. How could he possibly have forgotten to phone his partners ex, the mother of Danny`s child? "Damnit, I'm slipping." He muttered, more to himself than to Chin.

"I`ll take that as a no." Chin chuckled, not envying Steve that phone call.

Reaching for a side pocket on his cargo pants, all intent to call the woman was halted as the sliders opened and he spotted the familiar white coat of a doctor. The physician was an older gentleman, gray spotting the temples of his short black hair. Laugh lines around his blue eyes and a hearty stomach told a life of luxury and happiness, but the frown he wore as he headed their way told another story. Steve hadn't realized he'd gotten to his feet until he firmly shook the man's hand, noting the name placard announcing the man as Dr. James Higgins and the large manila folder tucked under his arm.

"How's he doing, doctor?"

Having heard the exploits of the infamous Five-0 task force, Dr. Higgins needn't had to ask who the commander was speaking of. Running a hand through his hair, a gesture that reminded Steve a lot of his partner, he waved back towards the glass doors. "Please Commander, if you and your team would follow me? I'd like to speak to you all in private in my office."

Feeling Chin, Lori and Kono at his back, he nodded and followed the man into the bustling Emergency department. Nurses, nursing attendants, porters, doctors and various specialists and technicians made the trek to the good doctor's office a hard one, trying to stay out of people's way and not being run over by stretchers and echocardiograms alike. At one point Steve heard Lori apologizing to someone, and a mumbled "Sorry" from Chin before they headed down a fairly quiet hallway and into a spacious room. Overlooking the parking lot with wide floor to roof windows, the area was outfitted with a solid mahogany desk and rolling black leather chair in one corner, a comfortable looking red cloth couch just next to it and potted plants everywhere. It was like walking into the forest reserve.

"Please, have a seat." Dr. Higgins gestured to the sofa and laid himself down heavily onto the chair.

"How is he?" Kono asked in a tone close to pleading. "Can we see him?"

"At this time, Detective Williams has been transferred into surgery to repair the damage done to his shoulder. I cannot tell you how long the procedure will take, but for now I can give you a rundown on his condition." Passing his eyes over the four individuals before him, the doctor pulled open a drawer from his desk and retrieved a pair of reading glasses. Flipping the folder open and perching the glasses on his nose, he continued, "Detective Williams is one of the worst trauma conditions I've seen come into the hospital in quite a long time."

"Please," Steve prompted as the man paused. He was starting to get annoyed. "How is he?"

"Right now his vitals are still in serious condition but we managed to get him stabilized well enough for anesthesia. Upon triage it was determined the detective was suffering from multiple rib fractures, a complete break of left humerus and clavicle, a mild concussion, as well as damage to the trachea and multiple lacerations and bruising. We also discovered minor frostbite damage to his hands and feet."

"Frostbite?" Lori gaped, "In Hawaii? How does that happen?"

Chin growled long and low, shaking his head. "Shit." Meeting Steve`s eyes, he stated slowly, "There's an abandoned dairy factory just east along Twin Bridge, closer to the reserve. It's been closed for years, but…"

Steve shook his head, feeling ill again. "You can't blame yourself for missing it…" he consoled, though it did little to relieve the tension in the man's shoulder. Chin didn't have to say it, but where there were dairy products, there were freezers…The girls also seemed to understand and Steve watched a tear roll unheeded down Kono's face. Her eyes, though, promised more than a lifetime of pain for Wo Fat.

"What we were mainly worried about were Detective Williams' lungs, trachea and the damage to his shoulder." The doctor continued, his tone professional yet sympathetic. "We were able to get rushed x-rays of his torso and it seems he's suffering from aspiration pneumonia. It's a common form of pneumonia that can occur if you inhale food, drink, vomit, or saliva from your mouth into your lungs. This type of illness can also cause a lung abscess due to pus in the small cavities of the bronchi. Initial x-rays show no such abscesses as of yet, so we're hopefully. They're non-life threatening but can be quite painful with a lengthy recovery time. As of right now, with his breathing troubles and swelling trachea, we inserted a breathing tube to air on the side of caution. It will no doubt stay in place until his airways clear to a reasonable level."

"He was sick," Lori spoke up, "before he was…taken he was coming down with a cold. Is that going to impede possible treatment?"

"Unless the symptoms were caused by a viral infection the antibiotics we'll be treating the pneumonia with should take care of everything." Dr. Higgins reassured. "We'll start a round of powerful medication as soon as the surgeons are finished correcting the damage to his shoulder. On that note," he turned a few pages in his folder and gave it a quick read, "Due to the severity of the dislocation, there were quite serious tears to the supraspinatus tendon, which keeps the humerus within the socket, as well as three of the dominant muscles that make up the rotator cuff: the Supraspinatus, the Infraspinatus and the Teres Minor. I cannot foresee how the surgery will go, as that is not my field of expertise, but I have hope for a good prognosis. If all goes well, with physical therapy and the RICE method, he should make a full recovery."

Steve sighed in relief, wiping a hand down his face at the good news. He didn't want to count the proverbial chickens yet, but it was nice to finally hear something positive. As the man collected his file and stood, Steve followed suit and grabbed the man's hand in a hearty handshake. "Thanks doctor, for everything. Can you give us a time frame on when he may be out of surgery and ready for visitors?"

Returning the shake with a smile, Dr. Higgins just shrugged. "These kinds of things can be very tricky. There may be complications during surgery, or perhaps the surgeons go in expecting less damage than first believed. It could be anywhere from three to four hours or longer. One case I know about took nearly twelve hours to complete. We don't like making any false promises. I can tell you that I know the surgeon in charge of your friend and she's one of the best in the state. I'll have her debrief you on the procedure as soon as she's able."

"Thanks again, sir." Steve nodded.

Exchanging brief pleasantries, the team slowly made their way back through the craziness of Emergency and into the waiting room. The few people who had been scattered about the large space were gone to be replaced by new, anxious faces and Steve felt the heavy weight he'd been carrying around on his chest since his partner had gone missing deepen. With a heavy sigh, he watched his team flop back into the hard backed chairs as he slipped outside to make one of the toughest calls he'd ever had to make.

* * *

He always figured waiting was always the hardest part in any ordeal. During Steve's time with his SEAL team, and even before that, he'd come to this very stark realization quickly. What a lot of people didn't know was that there was a lot of lieu time in the military: waiting for orders between missions, for intel to trickle in, for the plane/helicopter/ship to take him where he was needed, for the perfect time to strike or move out, so on and so forth. As soon as a disheveled Rachel walked into the waiting area, Grace's small fingers gripping those of her mother, that theory was blown out of the water.

The look of anguish and fear etched on Grace's small, tear stained face nearly shattered his plan to remain calm and stoic in her presence. Releasing her mother's hand, she all but threw herself into Steve's waiting arms with a sobbed "Uncle Steve!" He felt her small body shudder as she sobbed into his shirt, and at that moment he decided that this, by far, was the hardest part. He would gladly take waiting around, lunatics with guns, or religious extremists. Hell, even anti-American terrorist plots before scared and crying little girls.

Wrapping her in his arms and muttering soothing, reassuring words into her ears Steve couldn't help but shoot Rachel a sharp glare over the little girls shoulder.

"What did you tell her?"

"Simply that her father was in the hospital Afterwards nothing I said could still her fears." Rachel explained under the steely look. Seating herself next to McGarrett, the English woman broke eye contact to stare at her shoes. Her hands were trembling. "She wanted nothing but to see her Uncle Steve."

Steve heard the underlying anger and resentment in her tone but he let it go. As Grace's sobs slowly turned to hiccups, he gripped her tight in the suddenly awkward atmosphere. He could understand the woman's position; a man her daughter had known only a short while was more an anchor to her than her own mother. Rubbing small circles along the little girls spine through the thin pink pajamas the child still wore, he looked at Rachel until she met his eyes. "He'll be ok, Rachel. Danny's as stubborn as they come."

She gave a brief nod before staring towards her black flats once again. All was quiet for several minutes before she spoke up. "Daniel was always one to make me worry," her voice was barely above a whisper. "Late nights at work, not knowing where he was or what kind of people he was dealing with. Knowing how dangerous the job was…it's enough to drive a person crazy with anxiety, you know?"

Steve just nodded and watched her closely, the telltale ticks of a person in distress clear in her body language.

"Once he was injured on the job I just couldn't handle it any more. He'd been shot of all things, chasing down some criminal." Her tone shifted to anger, though Steve doubted it was directed at his partner. "It was all just too difficult to manage. I thought once we were separated the worry would end, things would get better, and yet here I am time and time again." Watery with unshed tears, her dark eyes found his once again. "Does it ever get easier?"

"Not when it involves the people you love." He stated without pause, continuing to etch little spirals into Grace's back until he felt her tremors cease and breaths even out, asleep in his arms.

The morning dragged onwards, no one speaking as they were all lost within their own minds. Besides another coffee run from Lori, the group was still and silent as they waited for word on Danny. The clock was nearing 10:15 by the time a pretty, 30-something woman in green scrubs and a white coat stepped towards them from a hallway just off the waiting room. With her sleek black hair pulled up into a tight bun, horn rimmed glasses seated perfectly atop her small nose, she certainly did not look like someone who had just performed seven hours worth of surgery.

Spotting her approach, the team stood in unison, Grace abandoning the crossword puzzle she'd been diligently at to take her mothers hand.

The woman smiled, dazzling and bleach white. "With that reaction I can assume you're here for Detective Williams?"

With a tight nod Steve walked forward. "How did it go Dr…?"

"Dr. Patrice Lioli." The two quickly shook hands, the woman's small frame eclipsing the strength in her small, olive-skinned hand. "The surgery went well. It took some time to repair all the damaged muscles and ligaments, and we had to place two pins within the clavicle as the break was near complete. With lots of rest the break and tears should heal nicely and the Detective should regain all motor function with the help of physiotherapy. It now lays in Detective Williams hands as far as recovery time is concerned."

Steve smiled matched the good doctors as he heaved a sigh of relief. The prognosis by Dr. Higgins had been reassuring but the surgeons revelation seemed to make it all come home. Danny would be alright. "Can we see him?"

Dr. Lioli gave a curt nod then a 'come-hither' gesture with her head, walking back the way she had come through the narrow hallway. As they followed, she stated, "Detective Williams is still under anesthesia and probably will not regain consciousness for a few hours yet. Once he does, be sure to keep him calm and still so he doesn't do more harm to himself." Reaching a bank of elevators, she gave the up arrow a solid shove, taking in the group. "Also, I believe the units rules only allow two visitors at one time, for brief visits, but there is a visitor's lounge just outside the unit itself. Just so you're all aware."

Three floors and a brief discussion on visiting rotations later Steve, with Grace in hand, followed Dr. Lioli into the ICU and towards a room near the end of the hall. Stopping just short of the open doorway Steve turned to face the surgeon.

"Thank you for everything, doctor." He hoped his voice portrayed the immense gratitude he was feeling for her, for all the hospital staff who'd helped Danny.

"My pleasure Commander." Reaching into a breast pocket on her coat she pulled a small card. "If there's anything I can do for you in the future, any questions you may have about Detective Williams procedure, feel free to give me a call."

By the time he managed to dislodge the sudden lump in his throat she had already turned away and headed off unit. Watching her disappear with a swish of her white coat, a small tug on his hand had his attention turning back towards Danny's little girl. Taking a knee before her, her wide brown eyes still full of worry for her dad, he placed both hands on her tiny shoulders.

"Gracie, I need you to listen real carefully alright?" She gave a tight nod. "I don't want to scare you, but Danno was hurt pretty bad. I don't know what to expect when we see him but when he wakes up I have a very important job for you to do."

"Is it like the last time he was in the hospital?" she inquired, cocking her head to the side in a gesture much like her father.

He paused, remembering the Sarin incident in vivid color. He knew no matter what he said would make her upset so he pressed on. He wouldn't lie to her. "It's a bit worse than last time, sweetheart." He tried and failed to ignore the fresh tears welling in her eyes. "Hey, listen though. He's doing really good but when he wakes up he can't be moving around. You know how your dad likes to wave his hands? Well you have to make sure he doesn't ok?" Steve knew without a doubt that if Danny were to listen to anyone it would be Grace. He would never be able to deny her anything she asked.

"Ok." With a nod of her head and a reassuring smile from Steve he led her inside the room.

He knew when he walked inside it wouldn't be a pretty sight. The whitewashed walls were bare of any vibrancy, the only color visible being the blue sky outside. The room itself was dead silent but for the beeping of the heart monitor and the hiss of the ventilator as it pumped oxygen into his partner's lungs; knowing it was Danny's room, a man usually bordering on obnoxiously loud, it was a sobering atmosphere. The man in question lay still on the hospital bed, his left arm casted and shoulder wrapped in tight white bandages secured the arm to his chest with a light blue Velcro sling. The pale lax face of his partner was mottled in hues of purple and sickly green as the bruising that had hid behind the curtain of blood now on full display. A few stitches had closed the wound to Danny's head but hadn't been bandaged. Steve blanched at the patchy shave the nursing staff had performed to access the head wound and knew Danny would be ranting for weeks to come.

Grace didn't hesitate in the slightest, walking up to her father and taking his good hand in her own. Steve watched her rub the same circles onto his hand that he had done back in the waiting room that he'd seen Danny administer to his daughter whenever Grace was upset. "Get better soon, daddy," she whispered, barely tall enough to see over the raised bed rails. He could hear the small hitch of her breath as she fought back fear and tears. "I want to tell you all about the class project were doing at school. It's really cool and I think you'd like it. We're also going to be making volcanoes like Kilauea out of paper mache. I also have a book report I have to do. I picked The Wind in the Willows because you said you liked that book when you were little and I also…"

The more the little girl spoke, the louder her voice became as the last vestiges of worry leached from her voice. As Grace continued to regale her father with stories of school work, field trips and everything else under the sun, Steve lowered himself into the plastic chair beside the window, glancing momentarily outside. The brilliant sunshine seemed to make the dancing palm leaves glow in the breeze, the fluffy white clouds too sparse overhead to disrupt the warming rays. Yet another beautiful day in the Aloha State.

Rubbing a hand through his hair, Steve settled in for the long haul. Even though the hard plastic was near impossible to get comfortable in, he felt himself starting to nod off. To think the whole ordeal had only lasted 24 hours and change…it felt like it had lasted a lifetime. It also amazed him at how tired he was, a bone deep exhaustion that seemed to finally have caught up with him. On missions there were times he'd have to be up for days at a time, in countries where children younger than Grace were carrying guns and were just as dangerous as their adult counterparts, and he'd come out of those feeling less fatigued than how he felt now. Shaking his head, trying to clear the cobwebs of exhaustion, he no longer had the energy to fight it. He didn't know when it happened, but he was asleep long before Grace was finished illuminating the adventures of Mole, Badger, and the conceited Mr. Toad.

* * *

The world was nothing more than a fuzzy darkness in which Danny swam. There was no light, no color, but he could hear the faint and distant sound of voices as he slowly awoke. Smells of antiseptic and alcohol were powerful and he frowned. It also felt like someone was sitting on his chest, a deep aching pressure that wouldn't go away and made it hard to breathe. Trying to dispel the jerk who figured he made a good cushion, he tried to lift his arms to push and quickly found he couldn't. Flashes of a dark freezer, a metal chair in a warehouse and Wo Fat's dark eyes on him had his heart rate jumping and fear clawing into his gut. Then there had been water, too much water, no air. Where the hell was he? Why couldn't he move?

"_Hey, Danny…you…"_

Steve…even thought he sounded so far away, he recognized his partner's voice. Was he in trouble too? Did Wo Fat finally make his move and had taken his friend?

"_Hey, man, wake up…gotta…down!"_

Wake up? What the hell was he talking about?

"_Danno!" _

Oh God no! Not Grace, anyone but his daughter!

"DANNO!"

His eyes shot open, burning at the intensity of sudden light, and he shot forward so fast he was sure he'd just given himself whiplash. Sudden pain, blindness and his little girl's startled gasp had him flailing, trying desperately to find the source of the anguish and to track down his daughter. Fear clung to his lungs. He couldn't breathe. The water…

A solid hand on one shoulder clamped down hard, pushing him back into…something soft? _What the fu…?_

"Danny! Listen to me! You have to calm down!" The sharp bark of his partner, so close he could feel his breath, snapped his head in Steve's direction. His best friend and boss had a look of worry, bordering on panic, as he pinned him down against wheat he realized was a bed. "Just calm down man, you're good! We got you…we got you."

Closing his eyes, pushing down the memories of pain and a dark ocean, warehouses and beatings, he dropped his head back against the pillow as Steve released him. The man looked drawn and worried. Black shadows under his eyes made his partner look years older than he was. Taking small, even breathes he slowed his breathing rate with Steve`s continuing muttered assurances that all was well. He gave a pathetic groan as everything began to hurt practically from his hair down. The bright light streaming in from the open window didn't help his pounding head and he was forced to blink rapidly as his sight adjusted.

_Grace…?_

"Danno, you can't move." His daughters angelic voice came from his left as though an answer to his prayers. The glare of light surrounded her small frame and cast a holy glow about her hair as he twisted his head around to take in her form. Unhurt, healthy, whole. Safe. No dark freezer or black ocean…"The doctors and Uncle Steve said you have to stay still."

That's when he finally noticed the blue sling holding his arm hostage. No wonder he couldn`t move. "Ho-" The simple question quickly morphed into a fit of coughing that set his whole being on fire. His eyes watered and his ribs ached and by the time it passed he was certain he'd never breathe again. Inhaling deeply from the nasal cannula wrapped behind his ears he managed to get his breath back once again, albeit slower than last time.

Steve just grinned at him. "Can't keep quiet for two minutes can you?"

Danny glared. "I…" he swallowed thickly, his tongue feeling like sand, breath coming in short bursts. His throat felt like he`d scraped it with a pad of steel wool. "…hate you."

"Shut up. You love me."

Just then a knock came at his door and Chin poked his head in. The tall natives face bloomed into a wide smile as he came in, closely followed by Kono, Lori and Rachel. Walking to his bedside, Chin leaned against the rails. "Howzit, brah?"

"Hurts." Danny mumbled feeling too tired to save face. "Chest…heavy."

"I'm not surprised." Lori stated, moving to the foot of his bed and giving him a warm smile of her own. "Pneumonia takes a lot out of a person."

Danny shot Steve a questioning look. _Pneumonia? _"What…?"

"A lot happened." He partner's eyes flickered to his daughter and Danny got the hint. _Not in front of Gracie._ "You've been in and out for a few days now."

Danny gave Steve an incredulous look, trying and failing to keep his jaw from dropping. "What day…?"

"Tuesday."

"...Jesus."

"You're doing a lot better, brah." Kono stepped forward. "When you weren't getting any better the first twenty four hours they had you, they upped your medication. It kept you pretty out of it." She was smiling, why was she smiling?

"What?"

"Even in your sleep you don't stop talking."

"Oh…dear lord." Kono laughed, loud and infectious which caused most everyone in the room to smile. Danny wasn't so pleased. "Please say…I didn't make…an idiot of myself."

"All in good time, my friend." Chin was enjoying the situation way too much. "Just get better first. And I know this may be hard, but try not to talk so much? They had to intubate you, brah." His expression became somber. "Your throat`s going to hurt for a while. Silence will help."

"And don`t worry about your drug induced ramblings. It's all recorded anyway." Steve grinned devilishly.

"Now I…really hate you."

His partner laughed, crinkling the corners of his eyes, and Danny gave a contented sigh. As his mind began to wander back, attempting to regain some of the time he had lost, his good hand traveled to his throat at the memory of cold steel and his partners panicked shout. His fingers brushed against the soft wrappings he found there before a warm hand pulled them away and held on. He looked towards his beautiful little girl and found her dark eyes watching his carefully.

"Don't play with your band aids Danno." She stated, sounding the world like her mother.

"Yes ma'am." He grinned at her, giving her hand a squeeze. With a light tug, he brought her closer to wrap her in a deep hug. He breathed her in, the light scent of strawberries and coconut from her shampoo making him sigh in contentment. Ever so carefully as not to aggravate any injuries, she returned it.

"Love you, Danno." The whisper was soft, meant for him alone.

"Love you too Monkey."

They remained like that a long moment, father and daughter content just to be in each others arms, before Steve cleared his throat with a guilty look on his face. "Uh…would I be able to have a moment with Danny guys?"

No one hesitated to nod in confirmation, Rachel taking Graces hand as the little girl promised to buy her dad a present from the gift shop. Watching her go, then as the door closed with a light click, Danny turned back to Steve as the man's face went through an astounding array of emotions. There were a few Danny had yet to see or name but as his partner schooled his features into his classic Aneurism Face, the blonde knew what was coming.

"No."

"Danny…"

"No." He knew he was being stubborn but Steve couldn't keep doing this to himself. He wouldn't let him. "Blaming yourself…won't change anything."

His partner leaned forward in his chair, forearms resting on his knees as he pierced Danny with an intense look. "I should be in that bed, not you. It's my vendetta, my families' secrets and this drive for answers that nearly got you killed. This is-"

"Not your fault." Danny huffed, trying to sit up straighter. It wasn't working. "You can't blame…yourself every time Wo Fat…does something stupid. And you wonder…why you have gray hair."

"He was after me."

"I know."

"The car is trashed, by the way."

"I figured."

"The Governor has graciously offered to have it replaced."

"Nice guy."

There was a long pause before Steve dropped his gaze to the floor. "He got away from me again. HPD searched everywhere along the North Shore for the SUV he got away in. They found it abandoned in Malaekahana Park, but he was long gone before the blues arrived."

"You'll get him…eventually." Danny coughed as exhaustion began creeping up on him. "He'll slip up and when…he does, we'll be there."

"Yeah…" Steve watched as his friends eyes slowly closed, sleep pulling him back towards unconsciousness. "Yeah, we will."

"Just promise me…you'll let me…shoot him, just once."

Smirking, conscious lifted, Steve watched the Jersey detective slid back into a medicated sleep. Knowing his partner was going to be okay – physically and mentally -, knowing _they_ were going to be okay and that Danny didn't blame him really allowed him to breathe easier. Leaning back, waiting for his ohana to return, he gave a nod.

"You've got yourself a deal."

* * *

Grace's squeal of delight echoed across the waves and sand of the small inlet behind the McGarrett residence. The sun shone high in the sky and radiated warmth on all that lay below. Danny wiped the back of his hand across his brow, scowling at both the immense humidity as well as the shenanigans going about in the water from his perch in one of Steve's lawn chairs. Watching as his partner once again lifted Grace high above his head before tossing her into the waves was increasing his high blood pressure.

"I swear to God, McGarrett, if you hurt my kid your death will be a slow and painful one!"

Steve just grinned at him like the petulant inner child he was and flashed Danny the shaka sign everyone in Hawaii seemed so fond of. Flashing his own sign at his partner when his daughter turned her back, he snatched his Longboard from the sand and placed the cold bottle against his temple. Steve just laughed.

It had been a little over a month since Danny had been discharged from the hospital and had been dragged, nearly against his will, into staying at Steve`s home. He was grateful that his friend cared as much as he did, but the man`s mother-henning had become overbearing very quickly. He allowed it to happen though, biting the bullet so Steve could hover and feel as though Danny wasn`t going to up and disappear on him again. Steve needed it, and deep down Danny was certain he needed it too. Most of his injuries were a thing of the past now, though the frostbite had left him with a loss of sensation in his right pinky toe. Thankfully it was only slight nerve damage, the doctor saying it would heal in time. His shoulder was also a work in progress, though he'd been going to see his physiotherapist regularly and no longer had to use that irritating, itchy sling. The large cast was still wrapped firmly around his arm but those things took time to heal; he remembered many a cast from his childhood. He'd probably also be setting off metal detectors the rest of his life, but if it meant mobility and the chance to go back to work then he'd happily deal with it.

The mental aspect of the whole thing was what he was struggling to come to terms with. He was lucky if he managed three hours of sleep a night, too often waking in a cold sweat or with a shout that had his partner running to his aid. It seemed he hadn`t really escaped Wo Fat at all as the man lurked inside his mind, turning pleasant dreams into nightmares that left him shaking. There was one in particular that continued to repeat through his mind like a bad record where instead of himself it was Steve with the chain around him and being dragged under that had had lost Danny quite a few hours of rest. One time it had been Grace in his place, and he`d barely made it to the washroom after waking from that one. He couldn`t even look at his ties anymore without imagining the chain tight around his neck, choking off his air and dragging him into the deep. His extensive collection now lay in a box shoved in the back of Steve`s guest room closet, along with pretty much every piece of clothing he owned. The man had wanted to make Danny as comfortable as possible for the length of his stay, and one could never say Steven J. McGarrett did anything half assed.

Danny saw his issues for what they were, and had even contemplated seeing a professional about his ordeal. That thought had lasted about ten seconds for two very important reasons: for one thing, even with his employee benefits, he knew he could never afford it. Secondly, who better to rant to than his partner? Who had nowhere to run from his ranting seeing as Danny was currently entrenched in his home. Plus, it was free. Perfect. Now he just had to get around to actually expressing how he was feeling to the guy, Mr. I`m-bleeding-out-but-I`m-fine-and-emotionally-stunted.

The soft pounding of feet on grass had him glancing over his shoulder. Lori and Kono, both clad in the smallest bikini's Danny had ever witnessed, flew past in a foot race to the waters edge. Both women laughed as they launched themselves into the water in a close finish, Steve declaring the blonde mainlander the winner much to Kono's disappointment. Danny gave a content sigh, watching as his team and Grace started up a chicken fight, the two women against Steve and Grace.

"You look like a lobster, brah." Danny glanced up to find Chin next to him, wearing board shorts and sandals.

"I don't know if you're aware of this little factoid, but back in New Jersey this is how most people get tanned. One must first roast themselves red thanks to the State being in a much higher latitude than here in Hawaii." He heard Chin give a chuckle. "Plus, it would seem I personally need an SPF higher than 50."

"Do they even make that?"

"Yeah, in Europe. No wonder the Swedes are so fair skinned." Danny watched with a wide grin as Grace managed to push Lori off Kono's shoulders. "Atta girl!" he yelled and chuckled when his daughter waved his way. Turning back to Chin, he squinted up in the bright sunlight. "You all just get here?"

"There was an accident along Ala Moana and traffic was horrid." The man mused. "Probably would have been quicker to walk over."

The team had been hard at work the last few weeks trying to track down how Wo Fat had so easily disappeared, on top of all the other cases that seemed to fall in their laps. Danny, not yet medically cleared to go back to work, had been bored stiff and, if here being completely honest, lonely. With his friends at work and Grace in school he had been chomping at the bit for something to do. Long walks on the beach and reruns of old baseball games could only do so much. Steve, over a longwinded phone call with Danny a week back when the blonde was going stir crazy on the couch, had proposed a team BBQ at his house. The timing couldn't have been more perfect as Five-0 wrapped up their last case on a weekend that Danny had Grace, and the weather couldn't have been more perfect besides the typical sweltering humidity.

"So the doc's say I should be work ready in another week or two." Danny stated as Chin took a seat in the soft sand. He glanced at the white cast, covered in signatures and advertisements for Kamekona`s shrimp truck courtesy of the big guy himself. "Still not ready for McGarrett`s idea of work but pushing papers and researching is a start."

"That's awesome, brah." Chins smile was bright, though it didn't stand a chance against the glare of his red Hawaiian print shirt. "It hasn't been the same without you around. Way too quiet."

"I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment or not."

"Oh trust me, it's definitely a compliment. We need you back." Taking a long swing of a beer Danny had completely missed, Chin set it back into the sand next to the detectives own. "The whole group dynamic is shifted without you there, not to mention you`re the only one McGarrett will listen to half the time."

"Once you have kids, you acquire certain skills of persuasion."

The man`s barking laugh echoed through the trees as the others began to argue lightheartedly about which team were the victors. The wavy flittering refection of the sunshine hitting the water seemed peaceful enough but the haunting images of endless black ocean and pain still crept to the forefront of his mind. He hoped one day he`d be able to set foot in it again, to splash about with his little girl instead of a surrogate in the form of her `uncle`. Damn he was a mess. Maybe he really should just knuckle down and go see a shrink…

"Danny?"

The blonde felt Chins intense gaze on him, snapping him from his thoughts. The man looked worried but Danny simply waved him off. With a groan of sore muscles, he heaved himself from the deck chair and stretched like a cat. "How about we get dinner started and let the fish have their fun?"

"Sounds like a plan. Then we`ll go buy you an aloe plant."

It was Danny`s turn to laugh and, turning his back to the water, started up the short walk to Steve`s lanai, knowing that Grace was in safe hands. That _he_ was in safe hands, no matter what happened. It still amazed him how close he`d gotten to each member of his team in the short amount of time he`d been here. The thought lightened his steps, to the point where even Chin noticed. Reaching the lanai, Chin stopped him with a soft hand on his shoulder. It must have been a prior look in the detectives eyes, maybe in the way he had held himself, acted, but the look his friend gave him held nothing but sincerity.

"If you ever need to talk, or in your case rant someone's ear off, remember we`re here for you. You`re ohana, a kaikua`ana." Chin expressed, his dark eyes impossible to escape from. "Thinking otherwise is pupule."

Danny held up a palm. "Stop, rewind. I`m a what in the who now?"

"Kaikua`ana means brother and pupule is the term for crazy."

"Pupule, huh?" Danny's eyes migrated to where his partner – his kaikua`ana - stood, splashing about in the surf. The man who'd saved his life, the man Danny would take a bullet for. Flashing the shaka, he grinned. Deep down, he knew he would eventually be ok, shrink or not. Because family – ohana – would always see things through to the end…would always be there for you regardless of circumstances. Even the insane, six foot Navy SEAL types. "Kind of suits him, don't you think?"

"If he asks you said it, not me."

* * *

Well, hoped you enjoyed that as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please let me know what you thought! Huge thanks to each and every person who sent reviews for this story! You were all so positive and encouraging. It made each step in posting this story that much better and more fun! It`s what makes me love writing fanfiction and makes me want to continue to please. I have a few other ideas in mind, so I hope to have another story in the works soon. Thanks for sticking this one through to the end. Until next time, aloha!

»Crystal Marionette«


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